Racing: Lee Freedman to train Wealth Princess after sale

Waikato sprinting mare Wealth Princess has been sold to Australian owner Sean Buckley ahead of a tilt at the Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane.

Wealth Princess has been trained by Highview Stud principal Brent Gillovic who will remain in charge of the 4-year-old mare for her upcoming preparation in Brisbane, before she joins Lee Freedman's Melbourne stables.

The main target for the San Luis mare in Brisbane will be the A$1 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 12. She will probably have two lead-up races.

Wealth Princess was sold for an undisclosed sum to Buckley, of Ultra Thoroughbreds, who owned the champion sprinter Miss Andretti.

The winner of five of her seven starts, and a game last-start second in the Waikato Draught Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in February, Wealth Princess took the racing scene by storm this season.

Her successes included the listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Ellerslie on December 26 in which she covered her final 600m in a sizzling time of 33.2 seconds. She also posted a track record for 1200m of 1:08.59 when scored a brilliant last-to-first win at the Te Rapa meeting mid-December.

Gillovic said Wealth Princess, who may trial at Te Awamutu on April 27, had returned from a spell looking "a million dollars".

"She has an amazing turn of foot and a bombproof temperament and I feel we have not seen the best of her yet.

"I will be sad to see her leave my stable but Mr [Victor, owner] Ngai has made the right decision as there are now more opportunities for her in Australia and she will get every opportunity from Lee Freedman's stable to enhance her record and improve the value of her family."

Ngai still owns the dam of Wealth Princess, Wealth Star, who is in foal to Align. He has retained a 2-year-old full sister to Wealth Princess as well as a weanling half-sister by Danroad.NZPA