Skybird prepares for Gilgai Stakes return at Flemington

Trainer Mitch Freedman is preparing sprinter Skybird for the $300,000 Group 2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington this Saturday. Freedman expressed relief after deciding to bypass the $2 million Manikato Stakes last week, as the race was ultimately held on a good track rather than the soft conditions that had been forecast.

Skybird will carry the 55kg limit weight in the Gilgai Stakes, marking her first return to Flemington since her Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning victory in February of last year. While the 1200m distance is at the upper limit of her preferred trip, Freedman remains optimistic following a recent 850m Ararat jumpout win and a sixth-place finish in the Group 1 Moir Stakes.