Marketplace confirmed for Free For All at Albion Park

By Adam Hamilton 

Rising Kiwi star Marketplace will launch his Brisbane raid earlier than expected.

Trainer Regan Todd has opted to give the four-year-old a lead-up race at Albion Park on Saturday night.

Todd had hoped to race against his own age, but a lack of entries for the four-year-old means Marketplace will go into the Wondais Mate free-for-all.

His major target, the $300,000 Group 1 Rising Sun, is a week later.

After working Marketplace on Saturday and again today, Todd felt his stable star could do with another run to be primed for the Rising Sun.

It will be his fourth run this campaign, albeit they have been well placed.

Marketplace returned from a lengthy spell to win at Addington on April 24 and then again on May 8.

He then travelled to Australia and tuned up for Brisbane with a fantastic third after doing all the work in fast time at Menangle on June 13.

Todd knows Marketplace will need to be absolutely primed for what shapes as the strongest Rising Sun in the race’s short but outstanding history.

Champion Kiwi mare Amazing Dream won the inaugural running in 2021 and another champion mare, Ladies In Red, followed the next year.

Leap To Fame then won in 2023.

Horses like Don Hugo (twice), Copy That and The Janitor have been beaten in the Rising Sun.

Champion mare Captains Mistress is $1.65 favourite this year from a firming Marketplace ($3.50) with Hollywood Strip ($5).