Cover image courtesy of Newgate Farm

Written by Jessica Owers

Extreme Choice has made an outstanding start to his career, with four winners in Australia (highlighted by G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Stay Inside), and a further winner in New Zealand. However, owing to fertility issues, Newgate Farm will look to manage the stallion's book privately for the upcoming season.

It means the son of Not A Single Doubt won't have a price next to his name, with Newgate’s Managing Director Henry Field confirming his book will be restricted.

“We have worked out through experience and advice that Extreme Choice is most effective in the shed when we cover a restricted book," Field said. "As a result, his book is limited to his shareholders. We will be doing a select number of foal shares as well, and I would encourage breeders to put up their better mares for this opportunity."

It's a bitter-sweet decision for Newgate, which has done so well with the stallion in a short space of time. However, Field also acknowledged the emergence of son Stay Inside.

"Extreme Choice is a freak, his stats are off the charts. He is going to make a strong mark on our industry over the next decade or so, and we are delighted to have already secured Australia’s best 2-year-old Stay Inside to stand alongside his father after his racing career.”

Breeders interested in accessing Extreme Choice through a foal share in 2021 are encouraged to contact the Newgate nominations team. The remainder of the Newgate fees are expected to be announced in the next week.

A thrilling success

Extreme Choice's first-ever foal became his fifth winner at Canterbury Park on Wednesday.

Trained by John Thompson, 2-year-old filly Xtremetime was having only her second start, and she got there by the smallest of margins, with a drawn-out photo finish only just separating her from Capitalist filly Socialist.

It proved a stirring race for onlookers.

Xtremetime jumped excellently from barrier one, drawing a breath under jockey Brenton Avdulla when she took the lead. She was pressed by only Hammoon Star (Star Witness) into the home turn, but it was Socialist who badgered her inside the 200 metres.

The two fillies raced equally to the line, with only the camera separating them when it mattered. It proved a 0.1l victory to Thompson’s filly, with Morioka (Maurice {Jpn}) 0.9l back to third.

“She gave me a great feel, and that’s as confident as John Thompson has been with me ever,” Avdulla said post-race. “He pulled me over yesterday and said 'you're on a nice filly tomorrow', so I rode her confidently.”

The jockey said Xtremetime felt a bit lost halfway up the straight, but Socialist might have corrected her.

“When Jason (Collett, on Socialist) got to me, it actually helped her,” Avdulla said. “She got the better of him, and she’s a nice filly with lots of upside.”

Avdulla added that it wasn’t like Thompson to be full of air about a horse.

“That’s not JT usually,” the jockey said. “When he legs you up and he’s full of confidence like that, it gives you plenty of confidence.”

Xtremetime arrived at Canterbury on Wednesday with a single start under her belt. She was fifth on debut on Boxing Day, 2.1l in arrears to Wagga fairytale Rocket Tiger (Cluster), who was second in the G2 Silver Slipper S. and third in the G3 Black Opal S.

Xtremetime contested two trials thereafter, winning both, before Wednesday’s victory.

Born of the USA

Xtremetime was the very first of Extreme Choice's foals to be born, a very early arrival at Newgate on July 29, 2018. At the time, Field commented she was an exceptional arrival.

"By all reports, she is an absolute belter, and I couldn't be more delighted with footage I've seen of her," he said. "Great size, big hip and girth, and very much in the mould of what a very good Not A Single Doubt (sire of Extreme Choice) foal looks like."

Xtremetime is also the first foal from imported American mare Peace Time (USA) (War Front {USA}), and was sold at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Prime Thoroughbreds for $160,000.

Peace Time was purchased by SF Bloodstock in 2016 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, costing US$260,000 (AU$337,023). She herself is from G2 Hollywood Oaks winner Santa Catarina (USA) (Unbridled {USA}), and was a US$600,000 (AU$777,745) Fasig Tipton yearling in 2014.

The mare was imported to Australia in July 2017 and, since Xtremetime, has produced a Hellbent filly which sold at the Gold Coast in January to Triple Crown Syndications for $60,000. The mare has a More Than Ready (USA) filly on the ground at Newgate, and is in foal to Pierro.

Irish undertones to Canterbury colt

Following the fillies on Wednesday’s Canterbury card, the juvenile colts and geldings had their turn in the Darley 2021 Roster H. over 1200 metres. Many eyes were on the James Harron colt Astrologer (Star Turn), who was third on debut in the G3 Breeders’ Plate back in October.

However, the smart Cork Harbour proved the winner, a son of Snitzel from the Kiwi mare Maritimo (NZ) (Pins). Trained by Chris Waller and ridden on Wednesday by James McDonald, he won by 1l to Astrologer, with Leen Fox (Foxwedge) 1.8l back to third.

“It’s all ahead of him,” said Waller after the race. “He’s got a lot to prove yet but it’s good to get a maiden out of the way pretty early, and I think he’ll improve a lot as a 3-year-old.”

Cork Harbour was having only his second start, fourth to Arrowfield horse Remarque (Snitzel) on debut in early January. It was good company to race against early, and Waller said the colt did well off the back of it.

“He was very professional, and I don’t think they went that quick in the first 200 metres,” the trainer said. “It’s good to have a versatile horse, and I think we’ll see him do a lot of versatile things in his career.”

Cork Harbour was a 2020 Inglis Easter yearling, selling from the draft of Willow Park Stud to Tom Magnier for $475,000. He has a number of big players in his ownership, including Waller and Coolmore, along with Sir Peter Vela, Georg Von Opel’s Westerberg and Debbie Kepitis’s Woppitt Bloodstock.

The colt is the second foal from stakes-winning mare Maritimo, who won a Listed event at Wellington in 2014. The mare herself was purchased by James Harron from Dormello Stud for $575,000 on the Gold Coast in 2017, and foaled a filly last season by Fastnet Rock. She is in foal to Pariah.

Cover image courtesy of Juddmonte Farms

International bloodlines having an influence in Australia is nothing new, with shuttle stallions a significant aspect of the global thoroughbred breeding industry, but what Frankel has been able to achieve at a relatively early point of his career in this part of the world is something entirely different.

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Historically, there are very few stallions who have been able to produce consistent stakes winners on the other side of the world without having actually stood in that country.

Frankel has now had seven stakes winners in Australia from just 35 runners, a success rate of 20 per cent, while he has had two Group 1 winners, Mirage Dancer (GB) in last year's G1 Metropolitan H. and now Hungry Heart, who last Saturday added the G1 Australian Oaks to her victory in the Vinery Stud S. earlier this month.

That pair represents the two key sources of success for progeny of Frankel in Australia to this point in his career.

Mirage Dancer, from his very first crop, was bred by Juddmonte, raced in the same colours as his father and was then sold privately to Australian interests, headed by Seymour Bloodstock.

There have been 15 internationally bred progeny of Frankel to compete in Australia for eight winners, with Mirage Dancer and Finche (GB) the two stakes winners.

Hungry Heart, meanwhile, was bred by Yulong from a mare, Harlech (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who was purchased specifically to visit Frankel before heading to Australia. She is one of 15 Australian-bred winners by Frankel from 20 runners, a list that includes five stakes winners, as well as Wednesday's Canterbury winner, Yangtze Rapids.

Of that list of stakes winners, Converge, Frankely Awesome and Significance, like Hungry Heart, are all out of mares imported to Australia in foal to Frankel, while Miss Fabulass is the only one out of an Australian mare sent to Frankel before she was foaled in Australia.

Australian mares heading to Great Britain to visit Frankel has been a relative rarity, with only 17 of his Australian-born progeny bred from Australian or New Zealand-bred mares of his seven crops to date.

Should Converge prevail in the Champagne S. on Saturday, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained gelding would break new ground as Frankel's first 2-year-old Group 1 winner in Australia and just his fourth overall, joining Quadrilateral (GB), Soul Stirring (Jpn) and Granadier Guards (Jpn).

Comparing the global stars

When you look at the Australian racing records of the progeny of prominent international stallions who haven't shuttled to Australia, you get a strong appreciation of just what Frankel has been able to achieve.

The most obvious modern comparison is to now-departed Japanese superstar Deep Impact (Jpn), who has had a similar number of runners in Australia to Frankel. His 30 runners feature 16 winners, including three stakes winners, Tosen Stardom (Jpn), Fierce Impact (Jpn) and Real Impact (Jpn), who all were successful at Group 1 level, and all of which have become stallions.

When it comes to Deep Impact's Australian-bred progeny, that is from mares who came to Australia after getting in foal to him, he has had seven winners from 10 runners, but is yet to get stakes success, with two black-type performers.

Table: Selected international stallions - progeny record in Australia

The second most successful internationally based 'non-shuttle' stallion behind Frankel in terms of Australian stakes winners in the past decade has been Monsun (Ger), who stood at Gestut Schlenderhan in Germany until his death in 2012.

His remarkable feat to sire three Melbourne Cup winners, Fiorente (Ire), Protectionist (Ger) and Almandin (Ger), is backed up by the fact he has also produced three other stakes winners, Vengeur Masque (Ire), Excess Knowledge (GB) and Midsummer Sun (GB). His six stakes winners in total have come from just 18 Australian runners, all bred overseas. He has had 11 winners overall. Thanks to those trio of Cup winners, his progeny have earned over $18 million in Australia.

The Aga Khan's Sea The Stars (Ire), based at Gilltown Stud in Ireland, is another international stallion who has had great success with limited runners in Australia, headlined by G1 Australian Cup winner Fifty Stars (Ire) and G1 Sydney Cup winner Shraaoh (Ire). That success has come from just 23 runners, 15 of which have been winners.

The recently retired Pivotal (GB) is another stallion of that ilk to have had Group 1 success in Australia despite small numbers, headlined by Addeybb (Ire), who won his second G1 Queen Elizabeth S. last week, and another triple Group 1 winner in Avilius (GB). From 20 runners in Australia, he has had 15 winners, with Australian-bred Peck, joining the two stars mentioned above as his stakes winners.

Japanese-based Heart's Cry (Jpn) also has three Australian stakes winners, with two Group 1 winners, Cox Plate heroine Lys Gracieux (Jpn) and Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti (Jpn). Joining them as stakes winners from Heart's Cry's eight Australian runners is Listed winner A Shin Rook (Jpn).

Casting a net further back this century, you get to stallions such as Kingmambo (USA), who from seven starters in Australia produced Group 1 winners Tawqeet (USA) and My Kingdom Of Fife (GB), and Sunday Silence (USA), who from 15 runners in Australia had two stakes winners, including G1 Australian Oaks winner Sunday Joy.

Sunday Silence sits alongside Frankel as the only stallions in the list we compiled who have produced multiple Australian-bred stakes winners in the recent past. Other internationally based stallions to have sired Australian-bred stakes winners include Tapit (USA) and Pivotal.

Once were shuttlers

There are also a few significant international stallions who we haven't touched on here who shuttled to Australia early in their careers, but became even more influential as stallions after they departed.

Invincible Spirit (Ire), who shuttled to Australia from 2003 to 2006, has become tremendously prominent in terms of his sireline in this country, and among his seven Australian-bred stakes winners are Group 1-winning mare Yosei and the Yarraman Park star stallion I Am Invincible.

In similar mould are horses like Dubawi (Ire), Street Cry (Ire) and Shamardal (USA) but it is Frankel's own stallion, Galileo (Ire), that best exemplifies that trend. He spent five seasons in Australia in the early 2000s before going on to become the most influential stallion in Europe in the 21st century. From his five Australian crops, he produced 18 stakes winners, including three Group 1 winners, from 351 runners. On face value, they are solid but not spectacular stats.

But if you look at Galileo's impact of his Northern Hemisphere-bred progeny in Australia, it’s a different story. He has had 17 internationally bred stakes winners in Australia from 109 runners. That list includes six Group 1 winners, all of which were either owned by Coolmore or owned by Lloyd Williams, having purchased them from Coolmore.

Sadler's Wells and Danehill

Going back a generation further in the sirelines, we get to Galileo's sire Sadler's Wells (USA), who never travelled to Australia but did set a strong standard when it came to the performance of his progeny in this country.

He had 33 starters in Australia for 20 winners, including three at stakes level. What is significant is two of them were Group 1 winners in Darazari (Ire) and Runyon (Ire), laying the groundwork for his own sons to come to Australia in the 21st century.

Looking into the other side of Frankel's pedigree and we immediately come across another major reason why he is becoming such a dominant global presence, with his dam, Kind (Ire) being by Danehill (USA). He is an international stallion whose influence in Australian racing is arguably greater than any other in the past 50 years.

Danehill's own stats in Australia are impossible to compare to many of the others in this article as he spent 13 seasons shuttling here but are worth mentioning nonetheless. From 881 starters in Australia, he had 689 winners, with 153 stakes winners. That’s a runners-to-stakes winner ratio of 17.3 per cent.

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

In the balmy surrounds of the Gold Coast Turf Club, Lee Freedman is a Johnny-come-lately. Six weeks ago, the famous trainer arrived in southeast Queensland from Singapore, taking up 20 boxes at Aquis Park for a new life in the sunshine state.

He’s no stranger to fresh beginnings.

Freedman has been in Singapore since 2017, and before that with his brothers in Sydney and various parts of Melbourne. But he’s unloaded the wagon on the Gold Coast, and likely won’t move again.

“It probably seems like I’ve moved around a bit, but most of that has been in the last 10 years,” Freedman said. “This is a move that will hopefully be my last, and I’ll make this my base now and see how it runs.”

The trainer has bought a home in Broadbeach with partner Jo, and has spent weeks shuttling between suburbs, setting up his new stable and new life on the glittering coast.

“It’s really not hard being here,” he said, taking a cheeky dig at the southern states shivering through an April morning. “I’m in my living room doing a few things, looking out at the palm trees outside and it’s going to be 29 degrees.”

No place like home

Freedman announced his departure from Singapore in late December. He’d been there three years, during which time he won a trainer’s premiership and the G1 Singapore Derby with Sepoy import Sun Marshal.

“I’m glad I spent time there,” he said. “The opportunity came for me to do something on my own in Singapore, and the move interested me. And it improved my skills a bit too because you’re only dealing with a set number of horses. You’re not getting a new batch of yearlings every year like you do here.”

Freedman said the restructure of the Singapore calendar last year to once-weekly racing wasn’t ideal for him. He had a stable that was built on two meetings a week, and it suddenly meant that many of his horses weren’t racing for five to six weeks. The time was right to relocate home, and Queensland’s southeast coast was an obvious choice.

“Trying to get space, and take over the same clients as everybody else in the southern states, was going to be an issue,” Freedman said. “But also, southeast Queensland is the biggest growth-area for population in Australia right now, so there’s good opportunities here for a client base. There are a lot of ex-pats coming back from all places overseas and buying up here.”

The trainer also mentioned that the weather played a small part.

“I think the climate is great,” he said. “Having lived in Asia for three years, I’m used to warm weather now, and it suits me.”

Build it and they will come

Freedman will start with 20 boxes at the Gold Coast Turf Club, but will build that number as enquiries and horses come along. He has a number of yearlings in the breaking-process right now, but he doesn’t want a huge string.

“I haven’t really put a number on it yet, but I don’t want 100 horses,” he said. “Maybe between 40 and 70, something around that, but it won’t happen overnight. A lot of the issues with expanding stables in any state now is getting more space, because it’s limited.”

Freedman has hired former Gold Coast trainer and Grafton native David Kelly, who will be the stable’s foreman. Kelly trained on the Gold Coast for a number of years, until relocating home to Grafton in late 2017. He’s a grandson of the four-time Listed Ramornie H.-winning jockey ‘Skeeter’ Kelly, and son of race-starter Rex Kelly.

“David is extremely experienced and well-regarded in the business,” Freedman said. “He has trained himself and was a jockey, so he knows every facet of the game. He also knows the Gold Coast very well, so he was an excellent choice for foreman.”

The yard will open its doors to business on May 21, with Freedman allowing himself time before the new racing season kicks off on August 1. He said the timing was good, because the yearlings would be coming through as 2-year-olds, and further opportunities for new horses were afoot.

“I’m expecting quite a bit of business to be coming up from down south over the next two to three months,” the trainer said. “It’s alright spruiking a business without being open, but I do think it’s better to be open and operating where people can see what you’re doing. That will influence people to send horses. Build it and they will come, isn’t that what they say?”

Shop local

On the trainer’s doorstep, Magic Millions will host its National Sale series in a handful of months, which Freedman admitted was a good opportunity for him.

“The big sales in June will feature a lot of racing stock, with fillies and mares changing hands,” he said. “I’m thinking there might be a bit of business out of that.”

The trainer isn’t sure when his first runners will hit the track, but there’s no doubt Freedman is convinced that southeast Queensland, with its bloodstock scene and winter carnival, is nothing less than a shareholder in the Australian racing game.

“It’s hard to define the industry by one state or one area now,” he said. “As Tony Gollan has shown in the last few weeks, the best Queensland horses are going down and winning good races in Sydney and Melbourne, and southern horses are coming up here and winning good races. To me, this place is just an extension of the eastern seaboard now, in terms of racing.”

The trainer will pay close attention to the local bloodstock market. He has a number of yearlings in-hand by Queensland sires Spirit Of Boom and Better Than Ready, and said it was logical that the local industry would factor heavily for his clientele.

“You’ve got to be mindful of the stallions that stand here, because the progeny will be eligible for the QTIS bonuses,” Freedman said. “That’s important up here, as it is in other states. A lot of my local produce will be by those stallions, because people will want to access those bonuses.”

Band of brothers

The Freedman success story has become generational, and it has gone on for a long time in Australian racing.

Lee Freedman has trained the likes of Makybe Diva (GB) (Desert King {Ire}), Subzero (Kala Dancer {GB}), Miss Andretti (Ihtiram {Ire}) and Super Impose (Imposing). Those are just a handful of champions that the master trainer has put his name to, and his life is decorated heavily with trophies, cups and sashes of every race imaginable on two continents.

He’s also tied strongly to his siblings in the south.

“I’m still very close with my brothers,” he said. “Although we run separate businesses, they’ll be interchangeable businesses between the three stables... Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast. I think the idea is sound, and I think it will work well.”

Freedman said he still cheers the success of his brothers, who have had a vintage season to date.

“They’ve done very well this year, and I point out to people that they haven’t been given these horses,” the trainer said, referring to G1 Blue Diamond winner Artorius (Flying Artie) for Anthony and Sam Freedman, and G1 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) for Richard and Michael Freedman.

“These have been horses that were sourced at the sales and bought by my brothers, and there are far bigger and more vaunted operations that claim success but don’t have that sort of success. So it just proves that they’re good judges of young horses, and they can manage them well.”

Despite this, Freedman isn’t letting his pedigree dictate his Queensland ambitions. He said there's only so far a good name will take you, and that he still needs to get out there among the locals while building his new business.

“I don’t think people send horses to a name,” he said. “They send them to a person they’ve met, or had some contact with on the phone. People up here don’t really know me other than as a raider from down south for many years, and now I’m part of the community. I need to meet people, get out and about, and I’ll make it my business to do just that.”