Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Two stars left the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable at the end of 2025/26 racing season when dual Group 1 winner Tentyris and G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Tropicus retired to stud, but the team is hopeful they have a few live chances to step up into their place this spring.
Co-trainer Sam Freedman walked TTR through the campaign plans for a few of their established players and their stars on the rise this spring.
3-year-olds
Wolf Gap, 3-year-old colt (Palace Pier {GB} x Bandol {Snitzel})
“He will resume in the (Listed) McKenzie Stakes on Saturday week, and he'll likely head down a G1 Caulfield Guineas path. We will see if he can measure up to that. He will go McKenzie into the (G3 Caulfield Guineas) Prelude and then we will see if he is going well enough for the Guineas.”
Wolf Gap | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Zambales, 3-year-old colt (Pinatubo {Ire} x Calliope {Exceed And Excel})
“Zambales was beaten in a maiden last week, which was a little surprising, but he had only had the one trial and he did run second. He still ran well behind a progressive horse. He is going to head to some of the lesser stakes races and look to get his form in good order.
“He may well be in a midweek race next week again and then we will see if he can earn his way back into some proper stakes races through the spring. There is no sort of set path exactly on what the spring will look like with him, but we feel that he's probably more a 1200 to 1400-metre horse, so he will likely be kept to the sprint trips.”
Zambales | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
American Eagle, 3-year-old colt (Too Darn Hot {GB} x Awake The Stars {Redoute’s Choice})
“He's a progressive 3-year-old. He was obviously a good winner over the winter (at Sandown in July). He was a horse we always had in high regard as a 2-year-old, he was just a bit immature in the autumn.
“He resumes Saturday in the (G3) McNeil Stakes and we will be trying to find out whether he's a sprinter or a middle distance horse. He holds nominations for both the (G1) Golden Rose and the (G1) Cox Plate. His spring and the targets we set him will be guided by how he returns on Saturday, and the McNeil will give us a good grounding to work that out. We will make a call after that.”
American Eagle as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Semantics, 3-year-old filly (Exceed And Excel x Philosophy {Street Cry {Ire}})
“Semantics is a really nice filly. She ran second at Sandown on debut last prep, and we feel she is quite progressive. She will run again in a few weeks and she will hit some stakes races through the spring, possibly to the (G3) Red Roses (Stakes) or something like that on Oaks Day.”
Semantics | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
4-year-olds
Beskar, 4-year-old gelding (Snitzel x Sword Of Light {New Approach {Ire}})
“Beskar will solely race in Sydney this sprint, I suspect. He is trialing tomorrow (Friday) at Randwick. We probably haven’t set a path for him in stone as to where he is resuming, but he will be kept to sprint trips and be aiming at those Listed and Group 3 races that you find in Sydney over the carnival.”
Beskar | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Inkaruna, 4-year-old mare (I Am Invincible x Ravi {Redoute’s Choice})
“She's resuming on Saturday in the (G3) Heath 1100. After this run, she will probably stick to mares grade. She's running against the older horses this weekend and she will probably need the run, then it will be back to running against her own sex. She has no lofty targets set for her this spring, we will just be aiming to pick off more black-type races and finding races that she'll be really competitive in.”
Inkaruna | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Just A Journey, 4-year-old mare (Justify {USA} x Caravan {Snitzel})
“She had a nasty injury that potentially meant retirement for her, but her owner Rob McClure was keen to give her another go, so she went through the rehabilitation process and she's back in the stable now. She had been down here before when Michael (Freedman) had her for some of the spring.
“There's no set plan for her just yet and she's still a little way off from resuming. She's only just back doing some pacework, and she still may yet go to the breeding barn, but we're just going to see how she is over the next six or so weeks.”
Just A Journey | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Point Barrow, 4-year-old mare (Pinatubo {Ire} x Take Pride {Reward For Effort})
“Point Barrow will resume in the (G1) Moir Stakes, and then the plan is to get her to the (G1) Champions Sprint on November 7 as her grand final. She will probably need the first-up run, but then she will look to have three or four runs for the prep with that sprint on the final day of the Flemington Carnival as her main goal.”
Point Barrow | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Older horses
Tom Kitten, 6-year-old gelding (Harry Angel {Ire} x Transfers {Street Cry {Ire}})
“He will run on Saturday in the (G1) Memsie Stakes and then we will work out what we do for the rest of the spring. I like him going about a month between runs, so he could go to the (G2) Feehan Stakes or something similar after that and then the mile on the last day of the carnival is probably the race we want to get him to.
“There is the option for a (G1) King Charles in Sydney as well, but he will ideally be kept to the mile. There is maybe a small chance at the (G1) Underwood Stakes if we felt it necessary, but I think we will probably keep him to the mile.”
Tom Kitten | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Unbelievable (USA), 7-year-old entire (Justify {USA} x Together Forever {Ire} {Galileo {Ire}})
“He is an interesting horse. His first up run at Flemington about a month ago wasn’t bad and I think he will appreciate getting out to 2000 metres in the RSL Handicap at Rosehill this Saturday.
“He’s still an entire, but he's capable and his work has been good, he could bob up somewhere important in the spring. He has a (G1) Caulfield Cup entry, but he would need to elevate his form significantly to warrant heading there. But he has shown he could do it. His best form has been coming fourth in the Hong Kong Derby.
“He is coming back from a tendon injury, so he's just taking a bit of time to come to himself, but he seems to be really turning the corner and is in for a good remainder of his prep. He has a great pedigree so hopefully we can get some more wins on the board.”
2-year-olds
Sepang, 2-year-old filly (Artorius x Lipizzan {Sebring})
“We have a filly called Sepang who looks very progressive. Our 2-year-olds on the whole are generally not really pre-Christmas 2-year-olds, but I think we will have a really nice group of juveniles that will be seen over that summer period. They are just going through the system now, so we will know more about them in the coming months.”
Artorius | Standing at Newgate Farm
Unnamed, 2-year-old colt (Artorius x Melaleuca {Stratum})
“He is an unnamed colt out of Melaleuca, who won five races. He’s shown a lot of good promise. Sepang and him spring to mind as good types in the stable.”
Artorius x Melaleuca colt | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
