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SYDNEY - Lee Freedman has hosed down fears all is not well with star mare Miss Andretti ahead of her international debut in tomorrow's King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The top Victorian trainer said reports Miss Andretti had a poor blood count had been exaggerated and she
simply had a low potassium level, an issue that has since been rectified.
"I couldn't believe there was any chat about it at all," Freedman told Sydney radio station 2KY yesterday.
"I mean, her blood count was fine, there was a small abnormality which no-one should have really known about but your guys are obviously right up on things. She's fine now."
Miss Andretti is the early favourite with both British and Australian bookmakers for the King's Stand Stakes (1000m) which was taken out last year by Takeover Target.
He will again be at Royal Ascot to try to defend his crown while Bentley Biscuit and Magnus round out the Australian quartet.
The four had mixed fortunes at the barrier draw with Miss Andretti drawing 19, Magnus 17, Takeover Target 14 and Bentley Biscuit gate three.
While seven of the last 10 runnings of the sprint have been won by horses from a single-figure barrier, Freedman said the statistic was deceiving.
The Ascot track has been renovated during that time and last year's King's Stand was the first run on it since remedial work was done.
Takeover Target won it from barrier 17, although he was brought over to the grandstand side of the course by regular jockey Jay Ford.
"She's drawn over on the flat side rather than the stand side," Freedman said.
"It all depends who you talk to because before the track was reconstructed they would have all told you the outside was best but since then there hasn't been enough races run to know which is the worst or the best.
"Last year there was kind of a blanket finish. The good horses were down the outside and ran one-two-three but the horses on the inside were only about half a length behind so I don't see that as bias myself."
Freedman rated Benbaun, who was second to Takeover Target in the race 12 months ago, as the toughest local horse to beat.
He also had a word of advice for punters looking to back Miss Andretti.
"Anyone who wants to take the silly odds they're betting about her on the score she is fit and well, take them, but at 3-1 or 4-1 she's probably not great value," he said.
Miss Andretti was yesterday at $3.20 with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Takeover Target at $6.50 and Bentley Biscuit at $7.50. Magnus was the outsider of the Australians at $13 with Benbaun a $12 chance.
All being well, the Australian quartet will turn out again in the six-furlong Jubilee Stakes on the last day of the meeting on Saturday (Sunday, NZT) with major chances of landing the spoils once more.
Other big races coming up are the St James' Palace Stakes tomorrow and Friday's Coronation Stakes.
* The New Zealand TAB is taking betting on all the feature races at Royal Ascot while the television coverage is on Trackside from 1am tomorrow.
AGENCIES