I couldn't quite hear the crowd chorus at Caulfield of Sweet Caroline from Randwick, but it looked a great "kick-up" for racing, racing always seemingly in need of one against its sometime own efforts, Saturday showing the strengths of sharing an Everest with a Guineas card, with their rich storylines and typical theatre.
And not just Joe Pride's The Everest duet, Think It Over and Private Eye, Sam Clipperton's emotions and syndicator Jamie Walter's proven record selecting just the right horses at the right prices, allowing everyone to play for the big money and the highs that go with it.
Who needs a pattern, the first three home in The Everest were geldings, but they are all Group 1 quality. At Caulfield, the first five home in the Guineas were colts, so get your cheque books ready breeders, but those on our side of the fence were there for much more.
The Group 1 races went to some script, Waterhouse, Maher, Freedman winning them.
But hang on, Waterhouse, so that’s Gai (and Adrian Bott) with fan fave Alligator Blood’s seventh, mark down 158 for Gai, Griff for the ubiquitous conglomerate of Maher and Dave Eustace, 28 for them to add to Ciaron’s own name 10 but you sense the ceiling is through the sky roof.
And then Freedman, no it’s not the hall of famer Lee, who has 127, many trained with the FBI, the brothers Anthony (son Sam), Richard and Michael still chasing and adding to the family boards.
No this is that other Freedman, Mitch, son of a bookies clerk, whose grandfather was an old school bookie, from Ballarat. And a marathon runner to celebrate.
It was his first, the well named Attrition, as it was for jockey Beau Mertens, in the Toorak. That other Freedman had won it twice, Gai once, now, Maher and Eustace, Toorak maidens but just for now.
Mertens dad, Peter, who he and the racing family lost to cancer this year, also won his first Group 1 at Caulfield, Rustic Dream, at the end of last century, and retired the same month, Mitch Freedman trained his first winner, Contact at Geelong in November 2013.
The Caulfield mounting yard at the end of a long day, just before the DJ’s started spinning or sampling or plagiarising, whatever they do, was a buzzing place.
Freedman, that’s Mitch and his son George, 4, in his own Attrition (Col McKenna) race silks, lapping it all up, kids with all their nonchalance that they can get away with that, the media singing Robert Palmer’s “Looking For Clues” after Amelia’s Jewel went missing in action.
Who would have thought nailing the Everest placings in order for $10m on a 479m-1 chance was easier than bombing out multis and the rest on Amelia’s. There was only one worse bet than that – the bloke who goaded Robbie Waterhouse to accept $5000 on the Yes Vote at 20-1 in the referendum. Now he did take the unders, and naturally Rob took the wager.
Anyway, to Attrition, stable name Spencer, because he’s a son of Churchill, as in British PM Winston, whose middle name is Spencer, was big odds too ($26), but coming from a betting family, Mitch Freedman knew the value and importance of finally such a result.
The much-hyped Melbourne Marathon Sunday (a more than respectable 3.21 though Damian Lane big-noted breaking three minutes), the associated media call of duty, that other Freedman was getting used to being a Group I winner.
“I ran the half marathon last year,” said Freedman “it’s something I wanted to do, it went quicker than thought. I wasn’t planning that time, there were a few false starts getting there, I did about 30kms a fortnight out it gave me plenty of time to think.” Freedman said.
Like that first Group1 before and after and that journey.
There were the dusty days, that long running cobalt saga (eventually cleared), and running the marathon past his lawyer’s city office were a timely reminder and a focus.
“I remember meeting Damien (Sheales) at a café near the Tan that was around the 36km mark and it just kept me going, at some time I thought I’d never get over it, I was in some dark places back then but I just wanted to keep showing up with resilience, I’m glad I did.”
You’d sense, and be right, that the celebrations of an initial Group I, were delayed and very subdued and still coming. We spoke today, and they are poised.
“To be honest it really has only caught up with me this morning,” Freedman said.
“I looked back on some interviews and got to work and realised what a long haul it was to get here, which makes it all so much worthwhile.”
“I’ve been working in stables since I’m 15 (he’s 34 now), just getting a licence and the long hard work, it’s a good time to reflect on,” said Freedman.
Like following his grandfather Stan to the races as a bookmaker, his father Robert working for him.
“It gave me a good understanding of form at an early age I suppose but as a kid I always loved being outdoors, whether that was at the horses, I was never going to be an athlete but I wanted to be competing all the time.”
The Freedman CV or should that be LinkedIn is typical building these days, from a family dream to hands on with the Durdens (Kath and Craig), Andrew Payne, Dan O’Sullivan, internationally with David Simcock and Andrew Balding in the UK, until Darren Weir redefined his future with opportunity.
“I spoke to Weiry over the weekend, I couldn’t thank him enough for everything, he gave me the opportunity to experience and I know if I ever needed to ask a question, he was always there,” Freedman said.
Freedman managed Weir’s Warrnambool stable, the chance to work with horses like Platelet and Puissance de Lune and perhaps an entrée in Attrition’s owner Col McKenna.
“I had great support from Weiry, but when I started, I was lucky to rent stables from Mark Primmer and had (RV acting vice chairman) Mike Hirst) as a client. Mick Kent has always been good sponge for me.”
Freedman found Attrition at the Inglis Premier Sales a couple of seasons, back, a first season sire, lot 266 and went to $180,000 to get him before working hard to sell and getting Mckenna in, hence the familiar blue, green hooped colours.
“I’d meet Col and Janice at functions over the years, I asked him if he wanted to be involved, I’d looked at the horse with Paddy Payne and just like him, his head, the way he moved, probably paid a little more than expected but we had an open day at the stables and could have oversold him 30 or 40 times over,” Freedman said.
Now they have a Group I winner and Freedman is entrenched in the eternal chase for more, a $10m Golden Eagle awaits on Derby Day.
He is blamed by Collingwood premiership star Jack Ginnivan for his love of racing, shackled after moonlight Maide won on Oaks Day at Flemington for Freedman with Ginnivan on the punt in the cheer,
“I’ve never met him, but it’s the sort of stuff that follow on in all of this isn’t it.”
As does being a Group I winning trainer.
Never one to push the Freedman banner, especially the Mitch one, no songs, but then Sweet Caroline, could have been Sweet Marcia (according to Neil Diamond), but it now sung, not just at Randwick, but Boston Red Sox Fenway Park games, but also Iowa State Cyclones, University Of Pittsburgh, Northern Ireland Football team, US Open tennis champ Emma Raducanu used it in her 2021 year but add on add on.
Lucky it wasn’t Diamond’s Brother’s Love Traveling Salvation Show.
Mitch Freedman may prefer I Am I said, understated and real.
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