Lee Freedman still rates Come Hither at the top of the tree as far as his Blue Diamond prospects go after her comfortable but far from impressive victory in the Talindert Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.Sent out $1.55 favourite in the disappointing field of only five runners in the Listed 1100m event, the Redoute's Choice filly, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, raced with her head on the side and looked to be struggling to pick up her freegoing stablemate Tariks ($11).However she knuckled down over the

Lee Freedman still rates Come Hither at the top of the tree as far as his Blue Diamond prospects go after her comfortable but far from impressive victory in the Talindert Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

Sent out $1.55 favourite in the disappointing field of only five runners in the Listed 1100m event, the Redoute's Choice filly, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, raced with her head on the side and looked to be struggling to pick up her freegoing stablemate Tariks ($11).

However she knuckled down over the closing stages to score by 1-1/4 lengths with Miss O'Brien ($7) three-quarters of a length away third.

"Her run probably ended at the furlong (200m) so she did a good job and she'll benefit a hell of a lot out of that," McEvoy said.

Freedman, who is enjoying a successful season with his juveniles with 10 individual winners of 12 races, said Come Hither would benefit from going around a turn in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 21.

"I don't really think she is a straight filly, but I wanted the three weeks spacing into the Diamond," Freedman said.

"I'm happy to get away with the win and move on.

"It seemed to me she didn't know where she was. She's been nowhere near Flemington before, whereas Tariks had raced down the straight twice and won here last start."

The Sheikh Mohammed-owned Come Hither has raced three times for two wins, having taken out the Debutants Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield last spring after her debut third to Our Joan Of Arc in the Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick.

The unbeaten Steve Richards-trained filly Rostova is Blue Diamond favourite at $3.50 with Eskander's Betstar ahead of Come Hither, Real Saga and Reward For Effort at $8, with Irish Lights next best at $11.