Blinkers to boost Blanc De Noir

Blanc De Noir has had three starts for three third placings, and Michael Freedman is hoping the addition of blinkers will be the key in Wednesday’s Drinkwise Plate (1000m) for three-year-olds at Randwick Kensington.

Freedman believes the Capitalist filly hasn’t been applying herself to the full extent late in her races, also opting to bring her back to 1000m, a distance she ran over when a narrow third on debut at Hawkesbury.

“She’s a nice, neat, genuine sort of filly hoping to break her maiden. We’ve put the blinkers on her because I just think she’s been having a bit of a look around the last two, so I thought it was a good time to try the blinkers on her and see how we go,” Freedman said.

“I think going to the blinkers on, the tempo of 1000 (metres) will suit her better than 1200.”

Blanc De Noir is owned by similar interests, headlined by the James Harron Bloodstock Fillies Partnership, as stablemate and Group 2 placegetter Blanc De Blanc, as well as Glistening, a Group 2 winning daughter of Zoustar, who recently sold for $950,000 to Kia Ora Stud at the Magic Millions broodmare sale.

Wednesday’s race will be Blanc De Noir’s fourth start in her maiden campaign and while she’s been relatively easy going at home, Freedman admits it would be nice to get the maiden out of the way before a spell.

“We’ll see how she goes tomorrow, but she probably might be ready for a bit of a break after that, but we’ll see how tomorrow goes and how she pulls up.”

Tommy Berry will take the ride on Wednesday having been aboard two starts ago at Canterbury with the pair drawing barrier five in the eight-horse field.

“I just think she’s probably been having a bit of a look around. So hopefully the blinkers just give her a bit more focus and confidence, and if she can find the right spot, she should be a nice chance,” Freedman said.

Freedman also gave an update on Moravia, who will run in Friday’s postponed Magic Millions Cup (1400m) after rain forced the Gold Coast’s headline meeting to be moved.

“He had a gallop at the Gold Coast there on Monday morning just to keep his fitness up, but he’s done well since he ran at the Sunny Coast, so he gets his chance in a race like that (with) blinkers back on,” Freedman said.

Blanc De Noir is a $4.20 chance on the second line of betting for Wednesday’s opening race at Randwick Kensington with the market headed by Bold Bidder, a Fastnet Rock gelding for the Bjorn Baker stable on debut.