TOP AUSSIE CONDITIONER RATES SA JOCKS BEST

The top class Australian conditioner, Lee Freedman, made some interesting statements to the Geelong Advertiser in Australia about South African jockeys and the South African Racing and Equestrian Academy at Summerveld near Durban.

Freedman mentioned that he is keen to see Victoria develop a jockey academy similar to that in South Africa.

"The South Africans are the best jockeys in the world, their academy has produced a string of top jockeys," he said.

Freedman went to Asia in an attempt to secure a top South African as his stable rider after his break-up with Corey Brown.

"They were all settled in their positions then someone brought (South Australian) Dwayne Dunn to my attention," Freedman said.

"We did some homework on him, found him to be a good team player and a good jockey and someone who would probably improve with the backing of a big stable behind him."

Freedman, obviously a fan of South African jockey`s work ethic and riding style, would have been more than pleased to see the likes of Lloyd, Schofield and Cormack riding in Australia with great success. Australia`s gain is surely South Africa`s loss, especially when the compliments are received from major international role players.

ABOUT LEE FREEDMAN

Born August 12, 1956

Lee Freedman was born be involved in racing.

His father Tony was a property developer, owner and part-time trainer, while his great-grandfather, on his father`s maternal side, Bill "Midge" McLachlan was a champion international jockey who won three Melbourne Cups on Prince Foote (1909), Comedy King (1910), Westcourt (1917).

Lee`s serious involvement with horses came in 1970, at the age of 14, when his father, on medical advice after a heart attack, opted for a healthier lifestyle away from Sydney by purchasing the Yass farm, Hardwick Stud.

Freedman boarded at Scots College in Sydney where he captained the swimming team but his involvement in the day-to-day running of the family`s thoroughbred business became a passion.

The stud stood a number of good stallions including Loosen Up (sire of champion Better Loosen Up) and former Melbourne galloper Demus.

Freedman, after failing to complete a university course, ventured overseas to learn more about the racing game, spending a season at the famed Claiborne Stud as a veterinary assistant.

His desire for training horses outweighed that of running a stud farm and he took an owner-trainers` licence in 1983 - shortly after he trained his first winner, a cast-off galloper named Sitting Bull, who landed a betting plunge at the local Canberra track.

Later in 1983, Freedman, who was training a small team at the Gold Coast, gained his full licence, allowing him to move to Warwick Farm.

Attempts to get boxes at Randwick failed, resulting in Freedman and his younger brothers, Richard and Anthony, on the advice of their father, moving to stables in Ascot Vale in Victoria, opposite the Flemington racecourse. Unfortunately, Tony Freedman died shortly after the move, leaving the family with some financial problems to overcome.

Freedman soon made his mark in Melbourne, especially through the deeds of a quality young mare named Sauna. The sale of Sauna to America helped finance the expansion of the Freedman brothers` enterprise to an extra stable complex at Flemington and a pre-training centre at Avenel, formerly Malabar Park, but renamed Brackley Park.

In 1986, Miss Clipper won the Australasian Oaks at Morphettville, giving Freedman his first Group 1 winner.

Two year`s later, Tawrrific was Freedman`s first Melbourne Cup runner, finishing 12th behind Empire Rose. The young trainer made the point that he was watching the every move of master trainer Bart Cummings in his preparation of stayers.

In 1989, Tawrrific beat stablemate Super Impose in the Melbourne Cup - Freedman cites it as his most memorable moment in racing. "It gave my career a huge kick and opened a lot of doors".

But it was Super Impose who gave Freedman his biggest thrills in those early days at Flemington. The great chestnut set racing abuzz when he lumped big weights to win the Doncaster-Epsom double at Randwick in 1991 and again in 1992.

Freedman and his brothers continued to expand. Youngest brother Michael came into the business around the same time more stables were opened at Epsom, where Lee was installed as private trainer for big spending property developer Floyd Podgornik.

Unfortunately, Podgornik died soon after the Freedmans moved into the Epsom, which forced another change in directed for the brothers. In 1993, the Freedmans moved to Geoff Murphy`s vacant stables at Caulfield. Richard was in charge at Caulfield, while Anthony set up a satellite stable at Randwick in Sydney.

Lee had a huge 1992-93 season, winning the Melbourne spring treble - the Caulfield Cup (Mannerism), Cox Plate (Super Impose) and Subzero gave him his second Melbourne Cup.

Bint Marscay was trained out of Sydney in 1993 to win the first of Freedman`s four successive Golden Slippers. He also won with Danzero, Flying Spur and Merlene.

Freedman continued his wonderful run with horses like Mahogany, Durbridge and Doriemus, who won Freedman his third Melbourne Cup in 1995 after winning rhe Caulfield Cup the same year.

In 1996 Freedman made the dramatic move to close his Flemington operation and moved to new stables at Caulfield.

While the Caulfield complex was state-of-the-art and Freedman trained many winners, he failed to have the same impact he had at Flemington. Winning the 2002 AJC Australian Derby with Australia and New Zealand`s costliest yearling Don Eduardo (NZ $3.6 million) was a memorable triumph during his Caulfield days.

Even so, Freedman was in a lean period and a restructure was needed to re-ignite both his enthusiasm and the business. Apart from buying and developing part of Muranna Stud, Balnarring, into a spelling and pre-training centre, he took the risky decision to move "off course" and in 2003 to establish his own training centre at St. Andrews, near Rye on the Mornington Peninsula sand belt, adjoining Moonah Links Golf Resort.

Brothers Richard and Michael moved from the training side of the business to establish their own careers in the media and golf course construction, leaving Lee and Anthony to run the new farm, "Markdel" - named after their oldest brother Mark and mother Del.

Freedman`s new venture produced immediate results through the deeds of Mummify (Caulfield Cup), Special Harmony (VRC Oaks) and the champion filly Alinghi (Blue Diamond Stakes and Newmarket Handicap).

David Hall`s move in 2004 to Hong Kong saw Freedman take over 2003 Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, training the wonder mare to win another two Melbourne Cups, a Cox Plate, Australian Cup and a BMW Stakes.

His tally of five Melbourne Cup wins sees him equal with Etienne de Mestre, and second only to his idol Bart Cummings (11 wins).

In 2005 Mummify`s win in the Group 1 Singapore International Stakes (2000m) at Kranji was Freedman`s first international success as a trainer. In 2006 he campaigned a horse in Europe for the first time with Falkirk, finishing fourth in the Group 2 King`s Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot.

Meanwhile, Mummify who gave Freedman his 100th Group 1 winner when he won the 2004 Yalumba Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 9.

Until Makybe Diva, Freedman regarded his best horses as Super Impose (four successive Randwick Miles) and Schillaci (champion sprinter), just ahead of Naturalism and Alinghi. But he has also trained wonderful horses including Poetic King, Mahogany, Mannerism, Paris Lane, Durbridge, Danelagh, Don Eduardo, Gold Ace, Serenade Rose, Kensington Palace and Benicio.

Freedman personally broke new ground on June 19, 2007, when his outstanding sprinting mare Miss Andretti won the Group 2 King`s Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot, providing Freedman with his first European winner. "I have been waiting all my life for this, it means a lot to me," he said in an emotional moment after Miss Andretti crossed the line. Miss Andretti, who won four Group 1 races for the season in Australia, went on to give the Freedman stable his fourth Australian Champion Racehorse title. His other titles came with Makybe Diva (2004-05, 2005-06) and Mahogany (1993-94).

It was fitting that Freedman`s first Group win in Europe was in front of the Queen at Royal Ascot. His great-grandfather Midge McLachlan left Australian in 1922 to ride in England, where he became the first Australian jockey to ride for the British Royal Family. In 1924, both Midge and his son Bill rode winners at the Royal Ascot meeting.

Freedman still harbours an ambition to win the Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe (2400m) at Longchamp in France.

Freedman was inducted into racing`s Hall of Fame in 2003 at the age of 46. He is married to Janelle, and has two daughters, Emma and Georgia.

Stables: Markdel, St. Andrews, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

First winner: Sitting Bull, Canberra, 1983

First Group 1 win: Miss Clipper (1986 Australasian Oaks) Metropolitan Premierships: 6 Group 1 wins (to end of 2006-07 season): 121

Profile from www.Freedman.com.au