Lee Freedman harbours high hopes for former South African Emblem Of Liberty as she heads into her clash with Australia's best mares in the Group One Myer Classic.
Freedman said he was taken with the 5-year-old's Australian debut when seventh in the Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and believes thatthe extra 200m and the bigger track will be in her favour at Flemington today.
"She had good form albeit in South Africa and I like her," Freedman told Sport 927.
"She only arrived in July so it has been a little bit rushed but I thought her first-up run in Australia from a bad gate was very good."
Emblem Of Liberty has won six of her 14 starts and in January won the Group One Paddock Stakes (1800m) in South Africa.
The Tristarc on October 17 was her first run since finishing third in the Group One Majorca Stakes (1600m) on January 31.
Freedman said that Emblem Of Liberty had trained on since the Tristarc, which was her first time racing left-handed.
"She probably had the second best sectionals in the race outside of [the winner] Typhoon Tracy and didn't get a clear crack at them," Freedman said.
"I think 1600 metres will suit her a lot better and so will the big track as she was more akin to those in South Africa."
Dwayne Dunn will ride Emblem Of Liberty who has drawn barrier 12 but Freedman has scratched Damien Oliver's mount Dane Julia after she drew the outside gate, 14.
Typhoon Tracy dominates Myer Classic markets and is A$2.10 with TAB Sportsbet despite being one of only four horses in the field of 13 not to win at 1600m. She would be the second of 15 Tristarc winners to land the Myer after Mingling Glances won both races in 1993.
Hot Danish is considered the biggest threat to Typhoon Tracy at A$4.60 while Emblem Of Liberty is one of the outsiders at A$41.
Peter Snowden and jockey Kerrin McEvoy are trying to win the race for the second time with Neroli (A$8.50) after scoring with Forensics a year ago.
