Latest news with #FreedmanStable
The Australian
01-08-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Trainers Richard, Will Freedman saddle four runners at Rosehill
Richard and Will Freedman have set themselves some ambitious targets for the new racing season and they are looking to get off to a fast start at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. The father/son training operation has been through and continues to make changes to the business with Richard, in his words, having 'loosened the reins'. Richard has moved to the family property at Broke, 25km south of Singleton, while Will manages the day-to-day running of the Rosehill stable which set a new benchmark in the recently concluded season. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'We trained over 50 winners in the season that is concluding,' Richard said. 'We've only got 40 boxes and I've always had the rule of thumb that if you're training a winner per box, you're going all right. 'We've outperformed that and with the horses we've had in those boxes, I think it's been a terrific effort. Will, 32, moved back to Sydney to join forces with his Group 1-winning father towards the end of the 2021/22 season and he's now moved into the driver's seat at their Rosehill base. 'Will has been the driving force of the stable throughout the season that has just ended,' Richard said. 'He's the one making the day-to-day decisions. 'He writes the work list, I used to write the work list but he does now. 'I'm the consigliere. I get consulted on decision, I get my input and doing all the work away from the stable on the farm. 'As a father I'm pretty happy with the way he's going.' Pocketing (green and white) wins the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes for Richard and Will Freedman earlier this year. Photo: Jason McCawley / Getty Images • NSW racing in the hands of the weather gods While Will manages the day-to-day operation of the Rosehill barn of Freedman Training, Richard is overseeing the development of his Hunter property which they hope will continue its transformation into a fully operational training centre in the next 12 months. 'We're at Broke, the next town to Pokolbin. We're surrounded by wineries,' Richard said. 'Right now we spell and pre-train at the farm but next year's we're looking to train a few horses off the property as well. 'As we speak, we are putting in an 1800 metre track at the farm. The grass track will be 25 metres wide. 'We're looking forward to adding the farm as a training base because we think that will help us up the results again.' On Saturday, the Freedmans have four runners and they kick off their 2025/26 season with the back-to-back provincial winner Cold Brew in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m). Richard and Will Freedman will on Saturday at Rosehill saddle up Cold Brew (red silks), pictured winning at Newcastle on July 15. Picture: Bradley Photos • Schiller gets green light for early spring return 'Everyone knows it's not easy winning your next start after winning a maiden and he's a bit of a slow learner so in some ways there was as much merit about his second win as there was when he trounced them at Hawkesbury,' Will Freedman said. 'I don't have a concern about the likelihood of a wet track for him, I think he'll handle it and the form around him is OK. 'He deserves his chance in a Saturday race in the city.' Next to go will be Rolling Magic, a Midway winner two starts back before being a victim of race tempo last start. The son of Per Incanto (USA) runs in the Jockeys Celebration Day Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m). 'His closing sectionals last start were very strong,' Will said. 'He ran home in 33.4 or something and he couldn't have gone any better. 'The way the race played out he was in an unwinnable position getting back from the draw. 'Drawn much better this time, I'd expect him to position much closer and he'll turn his form around in terms of his finishing position. 'The wet is a bit of an unknown but he's a fit horse that is going well.' Black-type winner Elettrica resumes at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Photo:. • Wynen hoping to strike gold with Yulong cast-off It's hoped that one of the stable's spring big guns will be Elettrica and the mare resumes on Saturday in the NSW Jockeys Association Benchmark 94 Handicap (1300m). 'She's going really well but she's not a first-up horse,' Will said. 'She's never won first-up so if she had to draw the outside barrier, it happened in the right run of the prep. 'She doesn't love it wet but she's going to get back and I would be very happy if I get to see her passing a few in the last 200m.' Rounding out their quartet of runners is another horse resuming, Magnatear in the Congratulations Chris Waller Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m). 'If it was a dry track on Saturday, I'd be really confident with him,' Will said. 'I'm not saying he won't handle the wet track, I'm just unsure. 'He's a really healthy horse and I think he's going better than ever. I'm very excited about him heading into this preparation.'
News.com.au
31-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Freedmans target fast start at Rosehill as stable expansion imminent
Richard and Will Freedman have set themselves some ambitious targets for the new racing season and they are looking to get off to a fast start at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. The father/son training operation has been through and continues to make changes to the business with Richard, in his words, having 'loosened the reins'. Richard has moved to the family property at Broke, 25km south of Singleton, while Will manages the day-to-day running of the Rosehill stable which set a new benchmark in the recently concluded season. 'We trained over 50 winners in the season that is concluding,' Richard said. 'We've only got 40 boxes and I've always had the rule of thumb that if you're training a winner per box, you're going all right. 'We've outperformed that and with the horses we've had in those boxes, I think it's been a terrific effort. Will, 32, moved back to Sydney to join forces with his Group 1 -winning father towards the end of the 2021/22 season and he's now moved into the driver's seat at their Rosehill base. 'Will has been the driving force of the stable throughout the season that has just ended,' Richard said. 'He's the one making the day-to-day decisions. 'He writes the work list, I used to write the work list but he does now. 'I'm the consigliere. I get consulted on decision, I get my input and doing all the work away from the stable on the farm. 'As a father I'm pretty happy with the way he's going.' • NSW racing in the hands of the weather gods While Will manages the day-to-day operation of the Rosehill barn of Freedman Training, Richard is overseeing the development of his Hunter property which they hope will continue its transformation into a fully operational training centre in the next 12 months. 'We're at Broke, the next town to Pokolbin. We're surrounded by wineries,' Richard said. 'Right now we spell and pre-train at the farm but next year's we're looking to train a few horses off the property as well. 'As we speak, we are putting in an 1800 metre track at the farm. The grass track will be 25 metres wide. 'We're looking forward to adding the farm as a training base because we think that will help us up the results again.' On Saturday, the Freedmans have four runners and they kick off their 2025/26 season with the back-to-back provincial winner Cold Brew in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m). • S chiller gets green light for early spring return 'Everyone knows it's not easy winning your next start after winning a maiden and he's a bit of a slow learner so in some ways there was as much merit about his second win as there was when he trounced them at Hawkesbury,' Will Freedman said. 'I don't have a concern about the likelihood of a wet track for him, I think he'll handle it and the form around him is OK. 'He deserves his chance in a Saturday race in the city.' Next to go will be Rolling Magic, a Midway winner two starts back before being a victim of race tempo last start. The son of Per Incanto (USA) runs in the Jockeys Celebration Day Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m). ðŸ°' A magical two on the trot for Rolling Magic as he wins at @hawkesburyrc! @ZacLloydx | @R1CHARDFREEDMAN | @willfreedman — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 10, 2024 'His closing sectionals last start were very strong,' Will said. 'He ran home in 33.4 or something and he couldn't have gone any better. 'The way the race played out he was in an unwinnable position getting back from the draw. 'Drawn much better this time, I'd expect him to position much closer and he'll turn his form around in terms of his finishing position. 'The wet is a bit of an unknown but he's a fit horse that is going well.' • It's hoped that one of the stable's spring big guns will be Elettrica and the mare resumes on Saturday in the NSW Jockeys Association Benchmark 94 Handicap (1300m). 'She's going really well but she's not a first-up horse,' Will said. 'She's never won first-up so if she had to draw the outside barrier, it happened in the right run of the prep. 'She doesn't love it wet but she's going to get back and I would be very happy if I get to see her passing a few in the last 200m.' Rounding out their quartet of runners is another horse resuming, Magnatear in the Congratulations Chris Waller Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m). 'If it was a dry track on Saturday, I'd be really confident with him,' Will said. 'I'm not saying he won't handle the wet track, I'm just unsure. 'He's a really healthy horse and I think he's going better than ever. I'm very excited about him heading into this preparation.'
News.com.au
30-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Apprentice jockey Jace McMurray grabbing the attention of trainers in NSW
Trainer Michael Freedman concedes it was only a matter of time before the secret started to get out. Freedman's new stable apprentice, Jace McMurray, is quickly establishing himself as one of the most talented young riders in Sydney racing and goes to Rosehill after a confidence-boost midweek double at Canterbury. 'Jace is a good, young rider, he's working hard, he wants to learn and is doing all the right things,'' Freedman said. 'I think he is starting to catch the attention of quite a few people now as he is a very good 3kg claiming option. 'Actually, my brother Lee (Hall of Fame trainer) rang me about a year ago and said I should keep an eye on this kid as he has a good future.'' Sky Thoroughbred Central presenter and former champion jockey Corey Brown has also been an admirer of McMurray's talents for some months and was instrumental in convincing the Queensland-based apprentice to move to Sydney and join the Freedman stable last month. McMurray is finding his feet in the cauldron of Sydney racing and his brace of midweek wins were for Freedman on Just Feelin Lucky and Inside Man. Therefore, it is no surprise Freedman has entrusted the emerging apprentice with his three stable rides at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. They include the underrated Spanish Fox who is aiming for his sixth win of the season and his fourth in the metropolitan area in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1200m). Spanish Fox struck a rich vein of form late last year winning five races in succession and his two comeback efforts this campaign indicate he is close to regaining top form. Freedman said Spanish Fox will strip fitter for Rosehill after his recent runs including a last-start third to Zealously over 1100m at the Scone stand-alone meeting two weeks ago. 'I was really happy with Spanish Fox at Scone,'' Freedman said. 'He had a bit of ring rust first-up as he had been off the scene a while but he came on nicely between his first and second runs. 'I think he has trained on again since then and this does look a nice race for him on Saturday.'' McMurray, who has a busy afternoon at Rosehill with eight rides, also partners the Freedman-trained Codetta who resumes in the Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1100m). Codetta was bred and is owned by Debbie Kepitis of Winx fame. The filly is a half-sister to the ill-fated three-time Group 1 winner Riff Rocket. Although Riff Rocket won the ATC Australian Derby and Victoria Derby double, Codetta is showing more brilliance and is very effective over sprint distances with two wins and two second placings from five starts this season. She is resuming off a four month spell and has had one barrier trial hitout when third at Randwick earlier this month. 'I have only given her the one barrier trial but she did have a jump out on the Polytrack over 800m last week,'' Freedman said. 'She's good to go. She's a nice, genuine filly and if the track is on the soft side, it won't worry her.'' Freedman and McMurray also combine with the tough Edited By in the Ranvet Handicap (1500m). This is where the apprentice's 3kg claim is crucial as he reduces Edited By's impost from 61kg to 58kg. 'Edited By has become an awkward horse to place because he has crept up in the ratings,'' Freedman said. 'I don't think he is quite up to (benchmark) 88 races so has had to carry big weights in these 78 races. 'But I thought we would go back to where he has won over 1500m at Rosehill before and see how he goes. Certainly, Jace's claim helps, too.'' Freedman, who prepared brilliant filly Marhoona to win the Golden Slipper earlier this autumn is chasing more big-race two-year-old success with unbeaten Aerodrome in the Group 2 $1m BRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm. Aerodrome defeated subsequent winner Hidden Motive on debut at Warwick Farm then wore down Hereward to win at Hawkesbury on a heavy track last start but Freedman is hoping Eagle Farm has a drier surface for the Sires. 'I think probably in the Clarendon Stakes at Hawkesbury while Aerodrome got the job done I don't think he was at home on heavy 8 as he has such a big, long stride on him,'' Freedman said. 'If he can get back onto a slightly firmer deck that would be more to his liking as well.''
