Quality over quantity the key to success for red-hot Freedman
Sam, assistant trainer to his father Anthony, looks ahead to an important weekend of runners as the stable continues to produce high-class prospects
A Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) would be an impressive Group 1 four-timer for any stable across a 12-month period, but to complete the feat with just 60 horses in full work is a particularly noteworthy achievement.
Anthony Freedman has done just that, saddling Lyre (Lonhro) to victory in Victoria’s most prestigious juvenile contest before Super Seth (Dundeel) snatched victory from fellow star three-year-old Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in a thrilling Caulfield Guineas.
Stable stalwart Santa Ana Lane (Lope de Vega) produced the best sprinting performance of 2019 when pulling three and a half lengths clear of a star-studded TJ Smith field, while Warning (Declaration Of War) added lustre to a fine year when running his rivals ragged in the Victoria Derby.
The key to those achievements? A focus on quality, rather than quantity, plus a vital network of senior staff.
That is the view of Sam Freedman, assistant trainer to his father and an increasingly important cog in the stable’s workings, particularly regarding media output.
Speaking to ANZ Bloodstock News, Freedman says: “We keep our numbers to around 60 horses in work, which really allows us to focus on having quality, rather than quantity, and to give every horse the best opportunity to show their best.
“We’re fairly upfront with our owners and if we think a horse isn’t going to measure up to paying high training fees, we’ll say. We want to make sure each horse is up to a good level and while there would be the opportunity to expand if we wanted, that would probably dilute the quality.”
Commenting on the importance of essential individuals to the day-to-day running of the operation, Freedman continues: “We’ve got some really good key staff at all of our properties.
“Steve Adams runs the Flemington base – he’s been with Dad for 15 years and he does an amazing job up there. Brad Taylor, our racing manager, he’s a key member of staff, as is Rebecca Smith at Pinecliff.”
Freedman operates out of two locations, with the more traditional Flemington base supplemented by Pinecliff – a state-of-the-art, custom-built training facility at Mount Eliza. Sam believes having the option of both locations allows for plenty of variation among the string.
“We’ve been at Pinecliff for six years and it always takes a bit of time to get used to a new property, but I think we’ve really worked it out,” he says.
“We’ve got a good balance between Flemington and Pinecliff, working out which horses work out in which spot, and it seems to be working really well.”
The proof of the pudding is always in the eating and racetrack performance is ultimately the key metric of success.
While that success was sustained across 2019, Freedman has issued a positive bulletin on the stable flagbearers moving forward. Indeed, Warning is being set for a four-start autumn preparation that could pave the way for an audacious spring campaign.
“He’s coming along well and is probably a little ahead of schedule,” Freedman says. “He looks physically very fit and he’s a naturally clean-winded horse.
“He travelled to Sydney overnight on Tuesday and he may have a trial next week. We’ll look to head to the Hobartville (February 22) for his first-up run, before he goes to the
Randwick Guineas (March 7), Rosehill Guineas (March 21), and then the Australian Derby (April 4).
“He’ll go down that tried and true route in Sydney. He’s just a lovely stayer who is proven at that sort of trip and hopefully he can complete the Victorian-Australian Derby double.”
Looking ahead, Freedman adds: “You really want to win a Caulfield Cup and a Melbourne Cup and it takes pretty special horses to win those sort of races. With a horse like Warning, if he can keep going the right way he could feature in a couple of those races in the spring.”
Super Seth made a striking return to action when taking out the Manfred Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield last week, seeing off his five rivals – including stable companion Groundswell (Fastnet Rock) – by a length and a quarter.
Both colts could follow a similar path moving forward, with Freedman saying: “Both pulled-up from the race very well. Groundswell didn’t handle the heavy track, so we’re toying with where we go with him. He has a couple of options – the CS Hayes (February 15) next week and also the Zeditave (February 22), which might be better suited.
“Super Seth has come through the race really well and we’re in a similar sort of scenario with him. He’ll be nominated for the CS Hayes, but there is a chance he might head to the Futurity (February 22) a week later.
“We think he’s dynamite at Caulfield and 1400 (metres) there against the older horses, we certainly think he’s up to it. Hopefully that’s a Group 1 he can add to his CV.”
Now a seven-year-old, Santa Ana Lane has been a fine servant to the Freedman team, winning five times at the top level and amassing $7,478,828 in prize-money.
Touted for a trip to Royal Ascot last year, Freedman elected to keep the son of Lope de Vega (Shamardal) closer to home, and an opportunity for European fans to see the star speedster in the flesh looks increasingly unlikely.
“He trialled at Balnarring on Tuesday and it’s probably the best he’s gone for a very long time,” Freedman continues.
“We’ll probably head towards the TJ Smith (April 4) and then possibly the All-Aged (April 18). There is an outside chance we’ll go to Royal Ascot, but he’s heading into the twilight of his career, and it’s never an easy trip to do with a horse.
“He doesn’t owe the stable or his owners anything. We just want to make sure he’s fit, healthy and going really well if we’re going to make a decision like that, but at this stage we’re just focussed on the TJ Smith.”
If Santa Ana Lane is the elderly statesman of the Freedman stable, Hanseatic (Street Boss) represents the next generation who have the world at their feet.
The Godolphin-owned juvenile shot to the head of the Blue Diamond market with an imperious performance in the Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) (Listed, 1000m) on January 25, skipping two and half lengths clear in the closing stages and leaving the clock-watchers open-mouthed with his finishing splits.
Hanseatic will take the next step up the ladder when he contests the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (Gr 3, 1100m) at Caulfield tomorrow, and while Freedman is upbeat he can maintain his unbeaten record, he did stress how the flashy chestnut is still learning his trade.
“He’s come through his Preview win really well,” Freedman says. “He seems to have bounced out of it nicely. He’s a pretty exciting colt and we’re pretty hopeful he can measure up against the better two-year-olds.
“He was a bit fresh and full of himself at the races last time and he’s still doing a lot wrong on raceday. We probably won’t know until Saturday how he behaves on the day, but he’s a bit of a hot and stressy horse anyway, that’s just his nature, so we’ll do what we can to combat that.
“But the positive is that he’s done it twice now at the races and it hasn’t affected his performance, so we’re not too concerned if he was to muck around a bit. Ideally, though, when you head towards the big days, you want them on their game all the time.”
Assessing the opposition to Hanseatic in the Blue Diamond Prelude, which has drawn a field of 13, Freedman adds: It’s a good test for him on Saturday with Rulership coming down (from Peter and Paul Snowden’s Sydney base).
“It’s probably a much better race than the Preview and he’s probably got to keep improving, like most of the two-year-olds if they’re going to measure up at the top level. But he seems to be going the right way.”
Hanseatic will be joined at Caulfield by 2018 Sandown Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Ringerdingding (Sebring), who contests the CF Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) eight days on from his first-up fourth in the Australia Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Moonee Valley.
Freedman is hopeful the $500,000 feature will pan out suitably from a pace perspective, although he has put a query by the inside barrier in the 12-horse field.
“He’s going super – it was a really good first-up run at The Valley,” Freedman says. “He’s really well, he’s improved, and he’ll appreciate getting out to the 1400 (metres).
“He’s probably not ideally drawn in one – he’s a horse that tends to race a little better when he gets to the outside of the field and to come with one run, so that’s a little issue that John Allen (jockey) will have to overcome.
“But having horses like Hey Doc and Begood Toya Mother in the field you know that it’s not going to be a slowly-run affair, which will really suit him. He’ll probably be in the second-half of the field and can hopefully just be saved for one crack at them.”
Looking ahead, Freedman added: “We’re taking it one run at a time with him, but the All-Star Mile is probably a really nice race for him if he could get into that.
“He’s proven against some of the best milers in Australia and we think we’ve got him back to his best form, so we’re hopeful he can get into that field.
“If not, there are plenty of options for a horse with his profile, including the Futurity or the Doncaster (April 4).”
Promising three-year-old Southbank (Fastnet Rock) rounds out the three-strong Freedman assault on Caulfield, with the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) placegetter set to resume in the Kevin Hayes Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m).
“She’s a very good filly,” Freedman says. “She was third in the Guineas in what was essentially her first proper preparation and she’s a horse we’re really excited about for the autumn.
“Her trials have been excellent, her work has been super and she seems to be maturing all of the time.
“She’s out of a Zabeel mare and she’ll appreciate getting out in trip, but she’s certainly sharp enough to run very well at 1200 (metres), and we’d be disappointed if she wasn’t right there fighting out the finish.”
Meanwhile at Warwick Farm, exciting Godolphin-owned three-year-old Chenier (Medaglia d’Oro) is set to make his highly-anticipated return in the Eskimo Prince Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), although the wet forecast for Sydney could put those plans on hold.
The son of Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado) made a deep impression when winning a Sandown maiden by five lengths on debut last March, but sustained an injury following his subsequent runner-up effort at the same track in April.
“He’s comeback really well,” Freedman continues. “He had a little injury at the end of his first preparation, so we gave him the time to get over that.
“His trials have been really good, but the 1200 (metres) is probably on the sharp side for him. He’s likely to end up at 1400 to a mile in time.”
However, regarding the ground, Freedman adds: “He probably won’t line up if the rainfall is heavy, which is expected.
“He’s a very exciting horse and we’ve got a lot of time for him. But we just think he’s going to perform better on top of the ground, and we would rather save him for a better track.”
The Freedman stable houses an enviable amount of ammunition for both this weekend and beyond, but Sam is phlegmatic in regard to setting goals for the future.
“We just want to keep winning as many Group 1s as we can,” he says.
“We’re never going to feature towards the top of the trainers’ premiership with the numbers we have, but as long as our strike-rate is strong and we’re placing horses correctly then we’ll be very happy.”
As such, that happiness seems very much assured for the foreseeable future.