Racing: Freedman has a huge gap to fill

Lee Freedman has a huge gap in his Rye-based training operation outside of Melbourne following the retirement of champion racemare Makybe Diva.

The "Diva" was retired from racing immediately after her stunning hat-trick of Melbourne Cup wins and Freedman is on the lookout for high-quality yearling fillies and colts to train.

He has been a regular visitor to New Zealand for the yearling sales since he was a youngster and arrived at New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka Sales Complex on yesterday ready to shop.

Accompanying Freedman to Karaka were Melbourne-based syndicators Rob and Corinna Slade who operate under the banner of Slade Bloodstock.

The company is firmly established as one of the leading Australian horse syndicaers, with the majority of their racing team handled by Freedman.

The pride of Slade Bloodstock is champion filly Alinghi, an $80,000 yearling purchase, who won over $3.5 million.

Freedman quickly inspected the Cambridge and Pencarrow Stud drafts before relaxing and having lunch and a glass of New Zealand white wine.

"Each year I inspect yearlings at all the major sales in New Zealand and Australia. I have orders from clients looking mostly for colts," said Freedman.

"In Australia a lot of our yearlings at the sales are bred to be early runners and sprinters.

"In New Zealand you can buy a yearling that is bred to stay so there's not much point in me coming here looking at early runners.

"So far we've spent time researching the catalogue looking at the breeding of various yearlings. Over the next four days I'll be looking at the yearlings in the flesh.

"I'll be looking at yearlings for Slade Bloodstock and other clients I train for.

"I do enjoy training for Rob and Corinna because they are very easy to train for.

"I can focus on training the racehorses and they can focus on communicating with their owners. "It's a very enjoyable working partnership, because racehorse syndication can be difficult to manage if you're training and trying to syndicate racehorses.

"They can offer their clients shares in two to four racehorses and it gives an owner the opportunity to spread his racing interests amongst different horses.

"An owner can end up with a share in a racehorse that is an early runner and also have a share in a horse that could develop into a good staying racehorse."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY