A spate of effortless wins by Slipper bound hopefuls in recent weeks has the form students in a quandary. On January 16th Shaquero ticked every box with a flawless display to win the Magic Millions Classic on the Gold Coast.
On the very same day the inexperienced Remarque did a few things wrong in winning a 2YO event at Rosehill Gardens, but his raw ability was there for all to see. Unfortunately, Remarque displayed an elevated temperature over the weekend and immediate plans are up in the air.
On January 23rd Stay Inside made his debut with a ridiculously easy win over the Randwick 1000m, displaying the tractability of a more experienced horse. One week later all eyes were on Enthaar when she lined up in the Gr 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield. The sister to Slipper winner Estijaab hadn’t raced since brilliantly winning the Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick last October. The laid back filly bounded straight onto the bridle and barely raised a sweat in winning by 2.3 lengths.
On February 6th Profiteer bounced off a soft Flemington win in December, with a demolition job on his rivals in the $2 million dollar Inglis Millenium. The dominance of the win (5.3 lengths) was not only a massive endorsement for his sire Capitalist, but it sparked a buying frenzy for the stallion’s stock over the next two days at the Inglis Classic sale.
Profiteer (Hugh Bowman) had more than 5 lengths to spare at the finish of the Inglis Millenium February 6 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Now to Saturday’s Pierro Plate at headquarters and Stay Inside’s second race start. His margin (4 lengths) would have equalled or bettered the one recorded by Profiteer had James McDonald so much as wiggled a toe. Unlike Profiteer whose racing style looked a little urgent, Stay Inside raced like a horse having his tenth start. After a quick beginning he came straight back underneath McDonald when Athelric and Total Babe sped away in front. He cruised up to the duo on top of the rise, before showing the turn of foot you don’t expect to see on a Soft 7 track.
The slow motion replay of the closing stages on the Racing NSW website, will appease those who are uncertain about the merit of the win. You’ll see James McDonald glance to the right to check his bearings on the big screen, and then to the left just in case something had suddenly materialised. You’ll see he was easing Stay Inside down in the closing stages and shaking his head in disbelief. It seems he couldn’t relate the margin to how easily the colt was doing the job. There’s little doubt the jockey was stunned.
“He’s an amazing young horse with the temperament of a four year old gelding,” said co-trainer Richard Freedman over the weekend. “He’s a ready made racehorse with no bad habits. He leaves the gate cleanly and is happy to settle wherever his jockey wants him to be. His main attribute is an electric turn of foot. The rain affected track on Saturday didn’t dim his finishing speed at all.”
Stay Inside looked to be in cruise control at the finish of Saturday's Pierro Plate - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Training brothers Richard and Michael Freedman had to shell out $200,000 for Stay Inside at last year’s Gold Coast yearling sale. “It was well documented that his sire Extreme Choice had some fertility issues and nobody could be sure how many of his foals would be available going forward,” said Richard.
“We were unabashed fans of Extreme Choice who had raced only eight times for four wins and more than $1.7 million. Those wins included a Blue Diamond and a Moir Stakes at Gr1 level. This was his first crop, but we felt confident he’d prove a worthy successor to his respected sire Not A Single Doubt. On top of that Stay Inside was a great physical specimen and you only had to watch him in the sale ring to realise his temperament was first class.”
Richard and Michael tend to buy on type rather than chase the progeny of well performed mares or mares of royal pedigree. Stay Inside’s dam Nothin Leica Storm was certainly no superstar on the racetrack winning only once in twenty starts. His grand dam Nothin’ Leica was a daughter of the underrated Nothin Leica Dane and boasted a significantly better record. She won city races at two and three years of age for Gai Waterhouse, and later a Goulburn Cup for the late Guy Walter.
“He was syndicated to a large group of owners who are having the time of their lives,” said Richard. “He showed us something right from scratch, but continued to improve at an amazing rate. By the time he lined up for his first race start he was a ready made racehorse. He couldn’t have been more impressive in his two wins, but obviously has to keep improving to be a genuine Slipper prospect. We’ll get a better idea when he runs in the Todman Stakes at Randwick on March 6th.”
James McDonald stopped for a quick chat with some of Stay Inside's owners on his way to the weighing room - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Saturday turned out to be a dream day for the multi talented Richard Freedman. Thirty five minutes after Stay Inside’s win, Richard’s son Will landed his first metropolitan training win with Birdonawinningpost in the TAB Highway at Randwick. Later in the day the Freedmans completed a unique treble when Express Princess won at Doomben with Jim Byrne in the saddle. Trainer Brian Smith did the honours in the absence of Richard and Michael.
The Express Princess ownership syndicate includes multi award winning journalist Neil Breen who last year took over as host of the 4BC breakfast programme following the retirement of Alan Jones. Despite the demands of a frantically busy career in print and electronic media, Neil has always managed to find time to indulge his passion for the turf. “He was ecstatic when he heard we were sending the mare to Brisbane for what looked to be a very suitable race,” said Richard. “He was even more ecstatic when she saluted.”
The smile says it all! Will Freedman was thrilled to win his first city race on Saturday - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Richard was thrilled to see young Will notch his landmark city succes. The fourth generation horse trainer took a big step when he relocated to Scone last year and opened his own training establishment. “He’s working twenty horses and is without a headline act,” said Richard. “In his favour is the fact that he started from the ground up, learning all the basics from an early age. He understands communication with owners and the way yearling sales work. He places his horses judiciously and just recently took Zaunkonig out west to win the Dubbo Cup. Will and his partner, former jockey Rachel Hunt are doing a great job with their little team.”
Almost two years have passed since Richard and Michael decided to formulate a partnership. Neither harbours a single regret. Richard supervises a team of 36 at Rosehill, while Michael looks after 25 horses at Randwick. “We have a perfect understanding,” says Rich. “We communicate regularly about every horse in our joint care, but the final call goes to the person who is actually seeing the animal every day.”
In their first full season together the brothers finished in tenth spot on the NSW ladder with 66.5 wins. The supreme highlight was a win in the $2 million dollar Inglis Millenium with Prime Star ridden by Tom Marquand.
At the halfway mark in the current season the brothers are perched in eleventh spot with 39 winners, just one win behind in form trainer John O’Shea. Wins in the listed Wyong Cup with Paths Of Glory, the Gr 3 Gloaming Stakes with Love Tap and the listed Gosford Guineas with Forbidden Love, have been season highlights so far.
Image 6 - Richard was more than pleased to win the Gloaming Stakes with Love Tap - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Pinning Richard down to naming a stable favourite is a difficult task. He’s an avowed horse lover, but there’s a certain five year old gelding in the Rosehill stables who dominates his affections. “Not only is Shuffle Up a delight to be around, he’s the unluckiest horse I’ve had anything to do with,” said the trainer. “He won a couple of races at Newcastle two years ago, followed by a cracking second in the Gr3 Carbine Club Stakes. He pulled up with a tendon strain and had to be turned out immediately.
Five months later he resumed in a Warwick Farm barrier trial only to pull up with a similar injury in the opposite foreleg. This time he wasn’t sighted for ten months but appeared to have made a good recovery from both injuries. “He came through his first two barrier trials unscathed, but because of his long absence from racing we decided on a third trial,” said Richard.
“What do you think happened this time. The poor bugger copped a giant clod in one eye which had serious repercussions. The vet actually told me he was a 50-50 chance of losing the eye at one stage. His recovery has been amazing and to my great relief the eye has returned to normal. He’ll be ready to trial again in about 6 weeks. He deserves to win a few races.”
Stay Inside isn’t the only Slipper hopeful in the Freedman Bros operation. Tiger Of Malay, coincidentally also a son of Extreme Choice is progressing towards the March 20 classic. The chestnut colt was very strong in winning the Kirkham Plate at Randwick last October before going to the paddock. He trialled pleasingly when third to Shaquero and Remarque at Rosehill last week and will almost certainly run in the Silver Slipper on Saturday next (Feb 20). “After that we’ll weigh up our options,” said Richard. “He gives the impression he might be more a Sires Produce type, but that’s not to say he won’t run in the Slipper.”
The landscape has changed dramatically since the heady days when the Freedman brothers were a powerful united force operating out of Melbourne - the golden era when Lee, Richard, Anthony and Michael pooled their skills to win a staggering 140 Gr 1 races. With Lee on the brink of setting up on the Gold Coast, Richard and Michael firmly ensconced in Sydney and Anthony and son Sam among Melbourne’s most successful trainers, the Freedmans now have a presence along the Eastern seaboard.
Co-trainer Michael Freedman was besieged by the media after Prime Star's Inglis Millenium win in 2020 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Saturday’s TAB Highway win with Birdonawinningpost was of enormous significance in the career of young Will Freedman. It’s tough enough for a budding trainer to live in the shadow of a famous father as Gai Waterhouse, Anthony Cummings, the Hawkes boys, David Hayes and several others discovered. Will’s got three uncles to worry about as well. Maybe that’s why he got the hell out of Sydney. From his Scone stables he can be his own man, make his own decisions and gradually forge his own identity.
A Randwick win on Saturday was a helluva start!
Grant Buckley brought Birdonawinningpost with a withering run to win the TAB Highway for Will Freedman - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Stay Inside (Robbie Dolan) made a stunning debut at Randwick 23/01/2021 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)