Trainer Lee Freedman has questioned irrigation methods for Flemington ahead of its Super Saturday meeting this weekend.Freedman, has Speed Gifted entered for Saturday's Australian Cup (2000m) but has also nominated him for the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm in case of a hard track at Flemington.A former Melbourne Cup favourite, Speed Gifted hasn't raced since the Cox Plate and Freedman scratched him from his planned first-up engagement in the St George Stakes two weeks ago becaus

Trainer Lee Freedman has questioned irrigation methods for Flemington ahead of its Super Saturday meeting this weekend.

Freedman, has Speed Gifted entered for Saturday's Australian Cup (2000m) but has also nominated him for the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm in case of a hard track at Flemington.

A former Melbourne Cup favourite, Speed Gifted hasn't raced since the Cox Plate and Freedman scratched him from his planned first-up engagement in the St George Stakes two weeks ago because of the firm track at Caulfield.

Freedman said both Caulfield and Flemington, which were both refurbished in recent years, were clearly superior draining tracks and should be irrigated accordingly in the interest of horse welfare.

He said that Racing Victoria's "dead four policy" on race mornings needed to be adjusted to at least a slow five for summer race meetings at those tracks, especially on hot days.

"Caulfield and Flemington drain so quickly," Freedman said.

"What they are at six in the morning does not resemble what they are seven, eight, nine or ten hours later.

"If you start the morning a dead four it is close to a fast two by the afternoon."

Freedman said track managers at Caulfield and Flemington could only follow the existing RVL guidelines but they should be given the flexibility to prepare forgiving tracks.

"I am not completely slagging track managers because they are between a rock and a hard place, Freedman said.

"They are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

"Everyone says the tracks are too firm later in the day and if they were watered as they should be you would have all the people with horses in the early races bitching about the track being too soft.

"But for the sake of the animal they are much better off starting out in the early races a bit too soft so the moisture stays in the track."

Freedman said his decision to scratch Speed Gifted from the St George was justified by the number of trainers complaining about horses that had "felt" the track.

Among them was comeback galloper Weekend Hussler who may race in Sydney during the autumn.

"It was not a setback at all for him (Speed Gifted) because I have got a sound horse," Freedman said.

"I am going into the Australian Cup with a sound imported horse rather than one that got jarred up."

Freedman gave Speed Gifted a compensatory jump out at Balnarring over 1600 metres on St George Stakes Day which he won easily.

Meanwhile David Hayes continues to assess his options with up to five runners in the Australian Cup.

Hayes confirmed on Monday that Saturday's Autumn Classic winner Extra Zero would run in the Australian Cup but said he would finalise his Cup attack after trackwork at Flemington on Tuesday when Changingoftheguard and Growl go through their paces.

Glen Boss will ride either Extra Zero of Changingoftheguard.

Hayes said Changingoftheguard was proving a handful and may need to be gelded if he doesn't settle down this week.

Hayes confirmed Steven Arnold as the rider of imported stayer Our Aqaleem while Paul Gatt is in line for the mount on Zagreb, who was third in last year's blanket finish to the Cup.

Hobart Cup winner Growl was second in last week's Launceston Cup but he appeals to Hayes as a Australian Cup horse having generally run well at Flemington including a second in the 2006 Group One Mackinnon Stakes (2000m).

Brad Rawiller would be the front runner for the ride on Growl on Saturday.