The $300,000 Group II ATC Tulloch Stakes (2000m) is traditionally a race for Australian Derby contenders, but a thrilling three way go to the line saw Yulong homebred gelding Pocketing snatch a narrow win at Rosehill on Tuesday, but he's no certainty to start on Saturday.
Trained by Richard and Will Freedman, Pocketing was a last start winner of a Midway Benchmark 72 event over 1600m so was stepping up in both class and distance and found both to his liking on the heavy ground.
He surged home down the middle of the straight for Josh Parr and held a narrow margin on the line over Yes Yes Yes gelding Firm Agreement who slipped through from last to grab second in the inside while King of Thunder topped off his Derby prep with a stylish third.
Pocketing is the third stakes-winner for O’Reilly stallion Grunt and has the overall record of four wins and four placings from nine starts with prizemoney just shy of $300,000 and his only unplaced run was when he suffered cardiac arrhythmia.
Will Freedman was unsure what the immediate future might hold for Pocketing, with the Derby not exactly a preferred option.
Pocketing is the first winner for unraced High Chaparral (IRE) mare Pickpocket, who claims influential producer Jesmond Lass as her fourth dam with the family producing Group I stars such as Canny Lad, Canny Lass and more recent stars like Sepoy and Bivouac.
Pickpocket had a colt by Grunt last year before visiting Panthalassa (Jpn).
