Newmarket Option For Santa Ana Lane Return

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The Newmarket Handicap looms as a launching pad for multiple Group One winner 's latest campaign which could feature international targets.

The Anthony Freedman-trained Santa Ana Lane capped his spring preparation last year with victory in the (1200m) at Flemington, his fourth Group One success.

“He's coming up really well,” Freedman's son and assistant trainer, , said.

“He's going as well as he ever has so hopefully he's in for a similar prep to last time.

“He's having another jump-out on Wednesday at Balnarring with the potential of running in the Newmarket maybe as a good first-up point.

“He probably can't win it first-up but he's going really well.”

Connections opted to bypass next month's in Dubai with Santa Ana Lane infavour of the $2.5 million Group One TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 6 before possible overseas missions.

“He'll head towards the TJ Smith and then look at possibly and Royal if he's going well,” Freedman said.

“There's a lot of water to go .”

Two-year-old filly Lyre became the stable's latest Group One winner when she took out Saturday's Stakes at Caulfield.

Four-year-old mare Shoals, a multiple Group One winner, had been scheduled to begin her campaign in the on the same program but was scratched because of a less than satisfactory blood picture.

Freedman said Shoals had galloped on Saturday morning.

“She's back to pretty well 100 per cent,” he said.

“We've got no set plan for her yet. We'll just creep along. We were going to trial her on Wednesday but we might give her an extra few days and look at jumping her out somewhere else, but she's pretty well back to normal.

“It wasn't a case of her being really unwell, it was catching something before it got worse.”

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