Mark Baker might be off trainer Mitch Freedman’s Christmas card list this year after the Hallmark Stud principal drew the outside gate for his gelding Asakura at the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) barrier draw at Karaka on Tuesday night.

“We will cross out Hallmark Stud going forward,” Freedman quipped. “You can’t do anything about those barrier draws.

“He has got gate speed and a little bit of versatility for a lightly raced horse. We will just work through some options there and communicate with Dean (Yendall, jockey) about what we think is the best way of tackling it.”

Asakura is the only Australian raider in this year’s NZB Kiwi, which will take place at Ellerslie on Saturday, and despite getting the visitor’s draw, Freedman is pleased with his charge heading into the race, having finished runner-up in the Gr.3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last month after winning his two previous starts this preparation.

“The horse is in great shape,” Freedman said. “I think he was still coming to his top going to the CS Hayes, so we thought there was a bit of improvement to come. We think he has taken some improvement and we are looking forward to getting over there and testing him out. I haven’t raced a horse over there, so I am looking forward to that as well.”

Bred by Jomara Bloodstock, Asakura is by Churchill and out of winning So You Think mare Sasanqua. He was offered through Hallmark Stud’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he was bought by Freedman for $140,000.

Jomara Bloodstock, operated by siblings John, Mark and Rachael Carter, retained a share in the gelding, and John, who is part of NZB Kiwi slot holder partnership ‘The King’s Men’, first bridged the idea of targeting the NZB Kiwi following his debut win in January.

“Mark Carter, who is in the horse, is in a syndicate that owns another slot,” Freedman said. “He raised it (idea of running in the NZB Kiwi) after he won his maiden at Terang, and we just said we would have to take it race by race and see how it all played out because he was still an immature horse and we weren’t sure how he would go through the preparation.”

While The King’s Men elected to go with Belle Cheval, Asakura continued to progress and attracted the attention of other slot holders following his next two starts.

“Every time we have taken him to the races he has bounced out of it and he has just improved into the prep, and that is why we ended up going down the (NZB Kiwi) path,” Freedman said.

Kerri Spence Bloodstock and Clotworthy Racing and fellow slot holder Ozzie Kheir made plays to secure his services for the race, and his owners ultimately decided to go with the latter.

“He ended up with a few slot holders chasing him and the owners decided which one they thought was the best suit for them,” Freedman said.

Asakura will fly to New Zealand tonight (Wednesday), and Freedman is looking forward to tackling the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race with him on Saturday.

“He travels over this (Wednesday) evening and we will meet him at Pukekohe in the morning,” Freedman said.

“He has got to settle in and eat and drink, and we won’t be doing too much work with him that’s for sure.

“We are looking forward to it. It (prizemoney) was a major part of why we made the decision (to contest the NZB Kiwi). He is a gelding, so we decided to chase the prizemoney, and the owners were happy to go along for it.

“He is in there bringing the right form lines and I am sure he is going to be competitive”

Asakura is on the fourth line of betting for the NZB Kiwi at $19, in a market dominated by unbeaten Group One-winning filly Well Written ($1.20).