Latest news with #FreedmanRacing
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Melbourne Cup champ Without A Fight retired
Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight has been retired. Trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman announced the decision on Thursday. Former international Without A Fight, who famously completed the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups double in 2023, joined the Freedman yard in 2022. 'He has been an absolute gentleman to have in the stable and will be remembered as one of the finest stayers of his generation,' Freedman Racing said in a statement. 'His Cups double not only delivered the pinnacle of our training careers but also created unforgettable memories for all involved. 'He has left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to be part of his journey.' Without A Fight was ridden out to win a 1500m trial at Caulfield Heath on Thursday morning. He placed third in the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) last November at Flemington – his last Australian start – after a 12-month injury break following a tendon injury and rehabilitation. ðŸ'½ @10SportAU | #MelbourneCup — Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 7, 2023 Without A Fight contested the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m) last December but was unplaced. The $9.9m prizemoney earner won 11 of 25 career starts including four of seven with Freedman. 'As Without A Fight begins the next chapter of his life, we wish him the very best in his retirement,' Freedman Racing said. 'He has given us all so much – for that, we are forever grateful.' His Australian record included wins in the Group 3 Lord Mayor's Cup and Group 2 Q22 in Brisbane.
News.com.au
03-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Punch Lane earns Big Dance qualification by winning the Hawkesbury Gold Cup
Punch Lane, Sydney racing's iron horse, delivered another knockout blow to his chasing rivals at Hawkesbury on Saturday. Champion jockey Nash Rawiller sent Punch Lane straight to the front early in the Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) and from that moment their opponents were racing for second prize. This was Punch Lane's third start in as many weeks and he was backing up after leading throughout to win at Randwick last Saturday. It was a case of 'rinse and repeat' for the Anthony and Sam Freedman -trained Punch Lane in the feature race at the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting. 'Tough as nails this horse, it's been a great training effort,'' Rawiller said. 'Three weeks in a row, not many can do that, but he has come here today and was first out of the gates and first onto the bridle. 'You could expect him to half not want to be here but he was better than last week.'' Punch Lane ($2.30 favourite) gave nothing else a chance in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup as he maintained his advantage throughout to win by 1-1/4 lengths from Osipenko ($9) with My Oberon ($14) a half-length away third. Matcha Latte, winner of the Provincial-Midway Championships Final, was a brave fourth just in front of Tavi Time. Punch Lane leads all the way in the G3 @hawkesburyrc Gold Cup and wins in style!ðŸ�† That's also a double to @nashhot ðŸ'° @FreedmanRacing — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 3, 2025 Rawiller, who rode a brace of winners after scoring earlier on Able Willie, won his second successive Hawkesbury Gold Cup following his win on Just Folk 12 months ago. In fact, Rawiller has had a lot of success at the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting over the years having also won three Hawkesbury Crowns on Coco Jamboo (2024), Sweet Deal (2021) and More Strawberries (2012), and two Hawkesbury Guineas on Hawaii Five Oh (2023) and Royal Discretion (2008). Rawiller predicted the Freedman father and son training partnership will make a huge success of their decision to open a 24-box Sydney satellite stable at Randwick to complement their main stable base at Mornington in Victoria. 'Anthony hasn't been up here for long and is learning the ropes, I guess, in Sydney a little but I'm sure he will get good support, he's a top trainer,'' Rawiller said. Rawiller's racing colours of royal blue, gold armbands and cap of the William Street Syndicate are also synonymous success. The ownership group has raced many outstanding gallopers including 1982 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups winner Gurner's Lane, trained by the late Geoff Murphy. The Freedman family has 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. Punch Lane's Hawkesbury Gold Cup win ensures the gelding is qualified for the $3 million The Big Dance at Royal Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day in November. A rising six-year-old by champion racehorse and sire So You Think, Punch Lane scored his eighth win from just 20 starts and took his career earnings to nearly $670,000. Anthony or Sam Freedman weren't on track for Punch Lane's Hawkesbury Gold Cup win but stable representative Shane Hourigan said the five-year-old was the 'perfect horse' to back up quickly and still perform at his best. 'This wasn't an afterthought to back up from Randwick into the Hawkesbury Gold Cup – and he is probably the right horse to do it with,'' Hourigan said. 'He does his work, eats, sleeps, then goes out in the morning and does it all again. 'We didn't have to do too much with him during the week, he's fit and this was his third week in a row. 'So, we just kept him ticking over during the week, making sure the horse was happy. Fresh is best as they say.'' Hourigan said Rawiller was able to dictate terms to suit on the front-running Punch Lane. 'In his races, this horse makes his own luck,'' he said. 'Nash gave him a great ride, jumped nicely, controlled the pace then kicked and had too much for them. 'He was always doing things on his own terms.''
News.com.au
26-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
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 — 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.
