Co-trainer Michael Freedman has been a part of many Group 1 victories but Forbidden Love’s win in the Surround Stakes was one to cherish.

Michael Freedman has been involved in a lot of Group 1 triumphs but Forbidden Love’s Surround Stakes win will never be forgotten.

“That’s my first Group 1 in Australia so it’s a big thrill,” he said.

And it was a victory predicted by Freedman’s senior track work rider during the week.

“Wajid (Ali), full credit to him. He does a lot of work with her and he knows her very well and he galloped her Tuesday and said ‘Boss, if she’s going to win a Group 1 it’ll be this Saturday’,” Freedman said.

Training in partnership with brother Richard, Michael has had one of the best strike rates in NSW for a few seasons now and it was only a matter of time before they cracked it for a major.

Forbidden Love was sent out a $10 hope after a below par run in Magic Millions 3YO Guineas on the Gold Coast, but turned it around in the style that saw her win two Stakes races over the spring and summer.

“If I’m being honest I didn’t think she’d get to here but she always showed ability and was improving over the last eight months,” Freedman said.

“When she put in that huge run in the Empire Rose (third) that said to me that she was up there with some of the better ones.

“She was very, very aggressive early on as a young horse and just wanted to do things in too much of a hurry. So we just had to take our time with her and teach her to relax a bit and she’s just the full package now.”

And by the 350m point of Saturday’s race it was obvious that Forbidden Love had arrived and was ready to show up on the big stage.

Despite travelling like the winning a long way out, the Freedman’s, and Forbidden Love, needed a cool ride by Nash Rawiller because the favourite Dame Giselle wasn’t going well in front of him.

Rawiller got out and went past the struggling filly and from there Forbidden Love showed just how good she was, running away with a three-length win from Vangelic who was strong.

“I was just hoping she got out because I could see how well she was travelling,” Freedman said. “Nash trialled her and he was rapt with the way she felt and he said he’d love to ride her and we locked him away.”

Rawiller knew he was on a horse that would go close if he didn’t get into trouble as he was travelling on the fence for much of the race.

“I wasn’t under any pressure to be anywhere,” Rawiller said.

“I thought we were two lengths closer in the run. It was more about getting her to travel comfortably and not complicating the race following Tommy Berry’s mount (Dame Giselle). I had the feeling turning for home that I just needed to keep her out of dead ends.

“I went to come outside Tommy Berry when the split was coming. I just knew she was going to accelerate as I had a lot of horse under me. It was an amazing win.”

Freedman said the All Too Hard filly would most likely head to Rosehill in a fortnight and try to win another Group 1 in the Coolmore Classic (1500m) where she’s now rated a $13 hope.

But, mainly due to the dominance of Saturday’s win, he feels she might be able to win an even better race this preparation.

“The Coolmore is only a couple of weeks away which would certainly be worth thinking about,” Freedman said. “I guess we might even think about a Doncaster later on, who knows. She’d have no weight in it. I think from memory we’ve kept her in it. I hope we have anyway.”

Forbidden Love will only carry 49kg if she gets to the Doncaster and she showed yesterday she wouldn’t be out of place in the great race.

“I genuinely feel she’s just coming of age. With the way she’s relaxing now the mile would be beyond her,” Freedman said.

“She’s got a great turn of foot and most of those top-liners have that. I think the sky’s the limit for her, I think she’s right up there with some of the best.”

AT THE TRACK

MIDWAY MASTERSTROKE

The help finally came this week for the smaller city and provincial trainers with the introduction of the $100,000 Midway races. With all the money being poured into country racing in recent years, many smaller city and provincial trainers would’ve been better off becoming country trainers. “It was starting to get to the point where we were considering relocation,” Kembla Grange trainer Theresa Bateup said. “We’ve lost many horses because owners have wanted to run in Highways.” Bateup said the Midway races gave many trainers a “selling point now”. “I’ve had many emails and messages from my owners asking me if their horse is eligible for these races,” Bateup said. And it’s a great time to be an owner and get a return. “Ten years ago it was a big thing to have a horse to break the $100,000 mark in prizemoney and now you don’t need a top horse to do that,” Bateup said. “Owners don’t have to put their hand in their pocket when horses go around and pick up good prizemoney.”

SCOTT HAPPY AT SCONE

Scott Singleton has been loving his move from the provincial to Scone where he says he’ll be more successful. “I’m getting better horses here than I was getting at Hawkesbury,” he said. “They’re (owners) mad if they don’t (send more horses to country trainers) because the training fees are expensive in town and if they’re not up to city racing on a Saturday it doesn’t make sense to be paying those fees.”

VOICE OF REASON

Sky Racing’s Lizzie Jelfs made a good suggestion during the week when she tweeted: “Can 2021 be the year we get rid of ‘Ms’ before female jockey’s names”. Jelfs is one of the most popular figures in Sydney racing for her great judgment and trainer Kristen Buchanan even suggested she would like to “steal her for the yearling sales”.

BIG WIN

One punter struck it big at Randwick on Saturday when putting $1000 each-way at $61 and $9 on Think It Over to win the Liverpool City Cup.

SEPARATE QUARTERS

Despite going through two weeks of quarantine and testing negative for coronavirus, English jockey Tom Marquand was still kept separate from the other jockeys at Randwick on Saturday.

PRIZEMONEY DROP

Star Of The Seas won the Blamey Stakes in Melbourne and won $120,000 in prizemoney. But had he been running in 2005 he would’ve collected $229,500. Not many races go down in prizemoney these days.

Still on Melbourne, Lunar Fox ran 13 lengths behind Tagaloa in the CS Hayes Stakes last start before winning the Group 1 Australian Guineas at $139 on Saturday. You just don’t see that stuff happening in Sydney, thank God.

*****

Nash Rawiller couldn’t believe Tristate raced so erratically and ran out on him so much in the straight in the Skyline Stakes. You could argue he cost Hilal any chance of winning after stopping his momentum at a crucial point. “The more I was trying to steer him the more he was trying to run around me,” Rawiller said. “I rode him in work and he was going straight as hell so he took me by surprise today.”

SHAQUERO SLUMPS

Is Shaquero’s Golden Slipper dreams over after a poor run on Saturday? He’s always won a Magic Millions and Breeder’s Plate so it’s been a successful start to his career. But his connections would’ve liked to have seen a lot more than a 5½ length sixth placing. “It was disappointing,” Hugh Bowman said. “I thought he was entitled to run within 1 ½ lengths of the winner and he gave himself every chance to do that. He settled nicely.”

*****

Owner Gerry Harvey had a winner on Saturday, which isn’t unusual, but this one was at Goulburn, who hosted the Yass Picnic Racing Club. El Roca filly Princess De Roca took home the first prize of $2040.

MERRY MOORES

Gary Moore and brother John are well underway as a training partnership in Sydney and Gary said it’s been enjoyable but knows his place. “He is always going to be my older brother so I’ve got to listen to what he’s got to say,” he said. “It’s been great to watch his way of training. His stable management has been quite interesting to what we do here in Australia. “He’s won 34 Group 1 races so he’s got the right form on the board. He’s won a Group 1 here as an owner with Eagle Way in the Queensland Derby (2016) and now he wants to win one as a trainer.”

HORSES TO FOLLOW: Criaderas (has to win soon), Four Moves Ahead (Slipper), Hilal (long term).

ONES TO SACK: Ole Kirk (time to retire?), Shaquero (Slipper dream over?).

RIDE OF THE DAY: Hugh Bowman on Leo (another Bowman gem).



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