Written by Paul Vettise
Anthony Freedman is starting to marshal his Group 1 troops into play with a number of gifted younger members of the team preparing for autumn features and the crack sprinter Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega {Ire}) getting ready to spearhead the onslaught from the older division.
The Mornington trainer has his powder dry at the minute, but has plenty of ammunition to fire at 3-year-old targets with Super Seth (Dundeel {NZ}), Groundswell (Fastnet Rock) and Warning (Declaration Of War {USA}) and the fillies Lyre (Lonhro) and Southbank (Fastnet Rock).
“Anthony is all about quality over quantity. The next six to eight weeks will be very exciting and with a number of very good horses to come out,” Freedman’s Racing Manager Brad Taylor said.
Super Seth
Among them is the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth with the stable looking to further boost his profile through the autumn. Waikato Stud has a controlling interest in the 3-year-old with a spot on its roster reserved for him at the end of his racing days.
“He’s come back in really good order. We can’t fault him and he looks fantastic, he’s certainly strengthened up and matured so the signs are all positive,” Taylor said. “He’s a well-behaved colt and he had a jump-out at Flemington last Friday and did everything asked of him.
“The first aim is the Australian Guineas to try and add another Group 1 to his CV. There are Group 1 races for him in Sydney as well, races like the George Ryder S.
“The first aim is the Australian Guineas to try and add another Group 1 to his CV.” – Brad Taylor
“We’re going to keep our options open with him and, being a stallion, getting those Group 1s is more valuable than the All-Star Mile, but that’s not ruling it out.
“We have all the options on the table and we’ll pick and choose where we go. He’ll have two runs before the Australian Guineas and he’ll resume at Caulfield in a 1200 metre race on February 1 and then we could have a crack at the Futurity S., we’ll decide that after his first run.”
The stable has also nominated G1 Underwood S. winner Homesman (USA) (War Front {USA}), a recent addition to the stable, Groundswell, Southbank and last season’s G2 Sandown Guineas winner Ringerdingding (Sebring) for the $5 million All-Star Mile.
Homesman (USA)
Rapid progress
Groundswell came a long way in a short time in the spring and off the back of a maiden win at Geelong ran consecutive thirds in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude, the G1 Caulfield Guineas and the G3 Carbine Club S.
He is at the jump-out stage of his preparation, and a possible G1 Australian Guineas contender, as are the runaway G1 VRC Derby winner Warning and Chenier (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}), an untested debut winner with a runner-up finish from his only other appearance.
Meuse (Snitzel) has won two of her three starts and adds to Freedman’s 3-year-old firepower.
Lyre
Lyre, winner of last season’s G1 Blue Diamond S., hasn’t raced since she was fourth in the G1 Thousand Guineas and Southbank finished one place better in the Classic at just her fifth appearance.
“There’s a 1200 metre filly’s race for Lyre and Southbank on February 8, the Kevin Hayes S.,” Taylor said. “Lyre will be aimed toward the Surround S. She probably didn’t run a strong mile in the Thousand Guineas so the Surround will be her first target and then decide which way after that.”
The G1 Vinery Stud S. is a potential Sydney target for Southbank, who also placed in the G2 Tranquil Star S. last campaign.
“We’ve got some nice young horses to look forward to and we’ve already had a couple of nice 2-year-olds step out,” Taylor said.
“We’ve got some nice young horses to look forward to and we’ve already had a couple of nice 2-year-olds step out.” - Brad Taylor
“Hanseatic won on debut and Away Game was behind him so the form’s been franked. He’s on a Blue Diamond path and a very exciting colt we train for Godolphin.”
Hanseatic (Street Boss {USA}) was successful in the Listed Merson Cooper S. at Sandown with Saturday’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Away Game (Snitzel) just under 2l back in fourth spot.
Hanseatic
Meanwhile, multiple Group 1 winning sprinter Santa Ana Lane was spelled after finishing fifth in the G1 VRC Sprint Classic and is now back in pre-training.
“We gave him a good break and he hadn’t had one in a long time. He looks fantastic and we’ll build him up and he’ll go second-up into the TJ Smith S.”
It’s a winning formula for Santa Ana Lane who finished fifth when resuming last year in the G1 Newmarket H. before heading to Sydney to account for Osborne Bulls (Street Cry {Ire}) and Sunlight (Zoustar) in the G1 TJ Smith.
