Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Despite being born into an Australian family steeped in racing history, the trip has been something of a homecoming for Freedman, who spent two years in Newmarket as a pupil assistant to Roger Varian and the young trainer told TDN AusNZ the stint in the country helped him understand what it means to saddle a winner at the five-day meeting.
“The gravity of having a runner at the meeting, you sort of understand it when you are training in Australia, but I don’t think you fully grasp how significant it is to local trainers until you actually come here or have worked in Europe,” said Freedman.
“I’m sure most trainers in England would go their whole careers without saddling a Royal Ascot winner, so I am well aware of the huge significance of the week and I am so excited to be here with a runner this year. When I went home after Roger's, I dreamed of bringing a horse back and I probably didn’t think it would be this soon - but you always hope.
"I’m sure most trainers in England would go their whole careers without training a Royal Ascot winner, so I am well aware of the huge significance of the week and I am so excited to be here with a runner this year." - Sam Freedman
“I saw with Roger that Ascot is a big deal. Every horse in the yard is targeted at this week and I know how difficult it is to win races at the meeting.
“Roger has had enormous success at Royal Ascot, but he would say himself that it isn't easy to win a race there, you can never be completely confident, no matter how good you think they are.”
Travelling a horse comes with unique pressure and this year, off the back of a few COVID-striken years, there seems to be added interest in the overseas contingent, attention Freedman is enjoying, rather than resenting.
Anthony and Sam Freedman | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“I am really trying to enjoy the whole week and not take it for granted, because it probably won’t happen again - I obviously hope it does, but you never really know do you?” he explained.
Family success
Of the 27 horses from Australia to run at Royal Ascot over the past 19 years, two of them were trained by Sam’s uncle Lee.
Assisted at the time by Sam’s father and now co-trainer Anthony, Lee’s first runner at the meeting was Falkirk (NZ), who finished fourth in the G2 King’s Stand S. in 2006.
The following year, Lee sent champion mare Miss Andretti (Ihtiram {Ire}) to Britain and she became only the third Australian horse to win at Royal Ascot when sauntering to a 1.8l victory in the G2 King’s Stand S., with fellow Australian runners Magnus and Takeover Target (Celtic Swing {GB}) finishing third and fourth respectively.
Miss Andretti was the third Australian horse to win at Royal Ascot when she landed the G2 King's Stand S. in 2007 for Lee Freedman | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“I was pretty young when Miss Andretti came over in 2007, but I remember staying up and watching her on TV and I had a vague understanding of the significance and importance of her achievement, but definitely not to the extent I do now,” Freedman recalled.
“They had Falkirk come over the year before as well and Dad travelled with him and looked after him over here. He was pretty unlucky behind Takeover Target because they had a bit of a nightmare with the headgear. There was a blinkers mishap, where you had to wear the full cup blinkers and he was used to wearing the half cup and they had to race him in the full cup.
“Needless to say he missed the start and flashed home late and Johnny Murtagh said he should have won, so that was a bit of a bitter moment. But all-in-all, the horses that the family have brought over have been competitive, so hopefully we can continue in that same vein this year.”
"But all-in-all, the horses that the (Freedman) family have brought over (to Royal Ascot) have been competitive, so hopefully we can continue in that same vein this year." - Sam Freedman
Strong Australian team
Artorius must hold a special place in Freedman's heart considering the colt provided the young trainer and his father a first top-flight win as a partnership when he landed the 2021 edition of the G1 Blue Diamond S. and the son of Flying Artie makes up one-third of the runners set to compete at Royal Ascot this week.
He is joined by Chris Waller’s superstar sprinter Nature Strip (Nicconi) who is set to take his chance in the G1 King’s Stand S. on Tuesday, while his stablemate Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) and Artorius will clash once again in the G1 Platinum Jubilee S., which is very much the highlight on the final day of the five-day meeting.
Nature Strip will be bidding to become the fifth Australian to win the 1000-metre sprint on Tuesday, while Artorius and Home Affairs will be vying to follow up the victories of Choisir and Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) in the 1200-metre race, while some would argue Starspangledbanner and Merchant Navy, who won the Group 1 in 2010 and 2018 respectively, should also count as winners for Team Australia.
Artorius, winner of the G1 Blue Diamond S. | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
It is 10 years since Australia’s Champion mare Black Caviar - the last Australian-trained winner of the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. - graced her presence at the meeting and Freedman believes that each of the runners from Australia this year bring with them high-profiles, which has added to the intrigue in the run up to the meeting.
“I think from an Australian perspective there is a lot of interest because these three: Artorius, Nature Strip and Home Affairs are all very good horses,” he said.
“I suppose there is also a lot of national pride surrounding this meeting and people want to see Australian horses perform well on the world stage and particularly over the sprint trips where they have been so dominant and competitive around the world in the past.
"I suppose there is also a lot of national pride surrounding this meeting and people want to see Australian horses perform well on the world stage and particularly over the sprint trips where they have been so dominant and competitive around the world in the past." - Sam Freedman
“Nature Strip is the best sprinter in the world. He brings elite form into the King’s Stand S. and he will be extremely hard to beat.”
Suited to English style
If the wagering market is anything to go by, the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. is Home Affairs’ to lose with the son of I Am Invincible currently sitting at the head of the betting, while Artorius is a general $33 chance.
The huge margin between the pair in the betting is no doubt a reaction to the performances they produced in the G1 Coolmore Stud S., in October, with Home Affairs galloping to a facile victory and Artorius finishing 3.6l adrift in third.
“I don’t think there is as much between Home Affairs and us as the market suggests. I think Home Affairs has a lot of tactical speed which is obviously an advantage, particularly in Australia more so than here. But ability-wise they are closer than the betting suggests,” said Freedman.
“Interestingly, the way Artorius races is probably not that well suited to the Australian style. He is such a laid back horse who needs a bit of time to balance up and finish off and Australian racing is very much about being up on the speed and around a bend he gets detached from the field and finishes hard every time.
“Down the straight, he has performed very well, so we felt his biggest asset was his straight line speed and his finish, so we decided to give this a go. He has the ability to step out to 1600 metres, so I think Ascot over 1200 metres with a strong uphill finish, will feel more like a 1400-metre race and that is probably his perfect trip. It was a no-brainer to give it some thought.
"He (Artorius) has the ability to step out to 1600 metres, so I think Ascot over 1200 metres with a strong uphill finish, will feel more like a 1400-metre race and that is probably his perfect trip. It was a no-brainer to give it some thought." - Sam Freedman
'He likes to race horses'
Owned and raced by Henry Field’s Newgate Farm, China Horse Club and their partners, Artorius was last seen running sixth in the G1 Newmarket H., a performance Freedman is willing to put a line through.
“He ran well in the Newmarket, despite making a tactical error. Henry Field was very confident and keen to bring him over as well, so we decided to have a crack.
“Henry is brilliant, he just likes to race horses. Obviously, he is in the business of making stallions, but he doesn’t shy away from them matching it with the best. He also really listens and respects the trainer's opinion.
Henry Field
"It has always been that if we felt comfortable taking the horse, we would take him. The easy decision would have been to keep him at home and see what happens, but we decided to give it a go and hopefully it works out.”
July Cup option
Depending on the outcome of the G1 Platinum Jubilee S., the son of Flying Artie could extend his stay in Newmarket for the G1 July Cup on July 9.
“I really don’t think there is a lot to lose running here and we felt strongly that English racing probably really suits him, with the strong tempo, stiff tracks and stiff finishes, so we had this two-race campaign in mind. He if performs well he will push on to the July Cup and if he doesn’t we will assess where he goes,” he continued.
Both Home Affairs and Artorius will retire to stud at the completion of their racing careers, Home Affairs to Coolmore Stud and Artorius to Newgate Farm, and Freedman said he was grateful to the horse’s owners to afford him the chance to compete at Royal Ascot.
“It is a long way to come if you don’t think you can win, so you need a horse you are confident will be competitive. Both colts are here to boost their profile and prove their worth in another hemisphere, so it is exciting and obviously this isn’t going to happen every year,” he said.
“It is a much easier business decision for a stud or an owner to not bring a horse half way across the world for a race. It is safer to keep them at home on their own playground, so kudos to Coolmore and Newgate for bringing them here.”
“It is a much easier business decision for a stud or an owner to not bring a horse half way across the world for a race. It is safer to keep them at home on their own playground, so kudos to Coolmore and Newgate for bringing them here this year.” - Sam Freedman
With his father choosing to stay in Australia, Freedman is relishing the opportunity he has been handed.
“Dad has really put this project on me, because he has done it and brought a horse over before and he was very much part of Miss Andretti’s preparation, so he has left it to me and that has been really nice," he explained.
“He is quite reserved in his assessment of horses and quite pragmatic - he is not the type of trainer to travel a horse for the sake of it, but he feels the horse is the right type to run here and hopefully his judgement is right again.”
Race dates and times for Southern Hemisphere viewers:
G1 King’s Stand S.: Wednesday, June 15 at 12.40am AEST.
G1 Platinum Jubliee S.: Sunday, June 19 at 1.20am AEST.
