Racing: Freedman roles in reverse

Jockey Stephen Baster returns to the parade ring after riding Sell In May. Photo / Getty Images

Anthony Freedman used to be travelling foreman and stable manager for his famous brother Lee.

At Ellerslie tomorrow the roles will be reversed.

The Melbourne trainer, as in Lee, will take Ockham's Razor to the races for the $1 million Karaka Million.

And this is a very literal thing, Ockham's Razor is actually owned by Anthony Freedman, who parted with $180,000 this time last year specifically for a horse that might prove good enough to run in this particular race.

Last year Lee Freedman wanted a break from the grind of daily training. He handed the licence for his Rye training property in Melbourne over to his brother and went, not exactly walkabout, but with a roving commission to enjoy himself.

"And I have," said Freedman in Cambridge yesterday.

"I'd concentrated every day on racing for 25 or 30 years and the game today is so different to when I started out. It's unbelievable now. But I've freshened up really well. Don't know if you'd want to back me in anything, but I'm feeling good."

One of the first major jobs was heading to Europe to prepare German stayer Lucas Cranach for a trip to Australia and a flick at the Melbourne Cup.

But for a troublesome quarter crack, Lucas Cranach may have won the Cup, doing extremely well to finish fourth to Dunaden.

Putting his hand up to take Ockham's Razor to New Zealand was a given - Lee Freedman and bloodstock agent Michael Wallace picked the colt out last year and recommended to Anthony that he buy him.

"We thought he was a lovely type and one that would be a possibility in a race such as this."

The price was top of the range for a first season sire in Any Questions, but Freedman was a fan of the breed and liked what he saw so much he wasn't missing the chance.

"We might have paid a little bit of overs, but we're very happy."

Ockham's Razor is a term used to describe, loosely, 'keep it simple'.

The second Australian in the field is Sell In May, trained in Melbourne by John Sadler.

Sell In May was ridden by Steven Baster in her winning debut at Flemington and this time Sadler has engaged Ben Melham to come and ride the filly.

Earlier last year Melham won the Patinack Stakes on Black Caviar.