Freedman has Panache looking like a winner
Away from the races since late May, Panache showed on the training track yesterday morning that there were no rough edges or fat around the middle - things normally associated with a lengthy "holiday".
Indeed, and if anything, he looked liked a horse who was eager to get back to work.
Ridden by Sunday's man-of-the-moment Craig Grylls, who picked up a double on Heracles and Exceed Express, Panache was striding out freely over the 600m which he ran in 38.6secs. He had a stablemate for company.
Formerly with Laurie Laxon but now with the legendary trainer Lee Freedman, Panache was a last-start winner before being rested.
However, it's worth looking back on that day in May when, ridden by the Englishman Alan Munro, Panache stuck to the withers of the pacemaker Imperial March all the way until the 300m mark.
Given rein, he soon hit the front and from then on the rest were left chasing shadows as Panache sailed further and further away.
The official winning margin was four and a half lengths. It could well have been an eternity.
It was Panache's second win in 14 starts. He had opened his Kranji account in April 2016.
It is worth noting that Panache also took a long break in May last year, returned nine months later to run second behind Moritz Eclipse in a Class 4 race over 1,200m - much like the one he will contest on Friday.
On Sunday, Freedman pulled one out of the hat when he produced Exceed Express to win a Class 4 race over the 1,000m scurry.
He could do the same with Panache.
Also catching the eye yesterday morning was Supernova.
From Bruce Marsh's yard, he had Vlad Duric on the reins when covering the 600m in 36.5secs. Like Panache, he too had a stablemate for company.
Although getting long in the tooth, Supernova hasn't lost that zest for racing and, like an old brawler, he can still land punches which could stun.
Like he did in September when he charged home from near last to win a Benchmark 67 race over the mile.
Some three weeks later, he again left it late when running on to take third behind Saraab and Ground Control in a 1,700m Polytrack event.
And last time out when ridden up on the pace, he led them into the final straight only to lose out to McGregor in a photo-finish.
The nine-year-old will have to carry 57.5kg in Friday's Open Benchmark 74 race over the 1,700m.
If he can reproduce the form he showed on the training track, his younger rivals could be in for a hiding.
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