Nash Rawiller delivers knock out blow aboard Punch Lane
Nash Rawiller, wearing a famous set of racing colours, produced one of his trademark 'slingshot specials' to win on Punch Lane at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Punch Lane was drawn off the track in barrier 15 for the Precise Air Handicap (1500m) but that wasn't about to deter Rawiller.
Despite Punch Lane getting out of the barriers quickly, Rawiller decided to keep the sprinter closer to the outside fence in the run to the first turn near the 1000m before cutting the corner slingshot-style and racing to the lead.
This was the last his rivals saw of Punch Lane ($6) who careered away to win by more than four lengths from Bold Mac ($31) with former English galloper Al Mubhir ($41) running a super race for third.
Punch Lane kicks clear and runs away with Race 8 at Randwick! @FreedmanRacing @nashhot pic.twitter.com/lCQI6OzlFo
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 26, 2025
Sky Thoroughbred Central's raceday presenter Greg Radley asked trainer Anthony Freedman what he was thinking early when Rawiller's radical ride kept Punch Lane so wide on the track.
'That's why you use him, you get the unexpected,'' Freedman said. 'But he rode the horse very well.
'Punch Lane has led before and won but I thought he might need it wetter so that's a good result.''
Rawiller said he was content to let Punch Lane roll along wide out on the track as the horse had got into a nice rhythm going into the first turn.
'It wasn't really the plan to lead,'' Rawiller revealed.
'But there was no stopping him, he was already full of running.
'It wasn't really until we cleared Rachel (King, Queues Likely) and got two (lengths) in front that he pricked his ears and gave himself a bit of a rest. From that point he was able to give a really good kick.
'He's a lovely fit horse off a pretty tough race. That race Sandpaper won the other day was a pretty high speed race so they would have come out of that a bit fitter.''
Rawiller's racing colours of royal blue, gold armbands and cap of the William Street Syndicate is synonymous with many outstanding gallopers including 1982 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups winner Gurner's Lane, trained by the late Geoff Murphy.
The Freedman brothers have trained for the syndicate of mainly Melbourne-based businessmen for many years including most notably the outstanding sprinter Santa Ana Lane who Anthony prepared to win five Group 1 races including the 2018 TJ Smith Stakes and Stradbroke Handicap, and 2019 VRC Sprint Classic.
Hall of Famer Lee Freedman trained Paris Lane for the syndicate to win the 1994 Caulfield Cup and Mackinnon Stakes.
Anthony Freedman, who trains in partnership with his son, Sam, and recently has set-up a stable base at Randwick to complement their main stable base at Mornington, said he will consider backing up with Paris Lane in the Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) at the Hawkesbury standalone meeting next Saturday.
'We will see where we go but I might throw him in at Hawkesbury even because it will be wet, I think,'' Freedman said.
'Whether he can take three runs in a row, I don't know, but I'll probably nominate and see how we go.
'He has backed up in Queensland and won but three in a row might be a test. We will nominate and give ourselves three or four days to think about it.'
Punch Lane's win made up for the race morning disappointment of having to scratch promising two-year-old Beskar from the Randwick opener.
'Beskar had a bit of mucus and we won't take any risks with him,'' Freedman said.
'There's not much here for him so we may go to Queensland. We'll see if he fits in the spring or not but he's above average.'
Freedman also provided an optimistic report about his top two-year-old Tentyris, the Blue Diamond runner-up who then won the Todman Stakes defeating Wodeton and Nepotism but unfortunately being ruled out of the Golden Slipper due to injury.
'Tentyris will have another month in the paddock before he comes back in but he's fine now,'' Freedman said.
'He will be right for the spring but whether we have him ready for a race like the Golden Rose I'm not sure.
'But he's a very talented horse and all the form around him is huge.''
Wodeton came off his defeat by Tentyris in the Todman Stakes to finish a close second to Marhoona in the Golden Slipper while Nepotism trained on to win the Baillieu Handicap and the Group 1 Champagne Stakes.
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