Lee Freedman stands out as new icon of Melbourne Cup after death of Bart Cummings

BART Cummings’ absence at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day will leave a gaping hole but one man stands out as the new icon of the great race — Lee Freedman.

Victorian Thoroughbred Racing Awards. Joe Agresta, Bart Cummings and Lee Freedman

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THE mounting yard on Melbourne Cup day is a cauldron of frenetic activity — and star spotting.

Nobody for the past four decades has commanded attention like Bart Cummings, who has stood quietly, shed a tear or two and picked up a dozen Melbourne Cups. Sadly he died this year and his absence will leave a gaping hole on Tuesday.

However the ogling and star search will continue, and one man stands out as the new icon of the great race — Lee Freedman.

In the 153 years the Cup has been staged, only the Cups King Cummings has won it more often than Freedman, whose five wins is equalled only by the man who dominated the Cup’s initial years, Etienne de Mestre, who won in 1861 and 1862 with Archer, 1867 with Tim Whiffler, 1877 with Chester and 1878 with Calamia.

Think about that for a minute and it should resonate that Freedman is a special part of Australian racing history, of Melbourne Cup history.

Lee Freedman with the 2004 Melbourne Cup won by Makybe Diva.

He saluted with Tawriffic in 1989, Subzero in 1992, Doriemus in 1995 and the great Makybe Diva in the last two of her historic three consecutive wins in 2004 and 05.

He’s also finished second with Doriemus, beaten a short half-head by Might And Power in 1997, with Count Chivas the previous year and Paris Lane in 1994.

To put Freedman’s success and Cup contribution into perspective, of the 16 trainers (apart from Freedman and brother Anthony) who will saddle up runners in the Cup, only three have won the race before.

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Freedman happily plays down his standing in the great race.

“I don’t think about that sort of thing really. To me Bart will always be the doyen and I am just chipping away.”

However he is an unashamed fan of his chance this year, Our Ivanhowe.

“I think he can do it,” he said. “I have him in the best order he has been since I got him and hopefully there is a bit of rain and he can get his toe into the turf which would help.

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“He has not run 3200m before, but to me he is screaming out for it.

“I must say I’m pretty excited,” Freedman said.

Freedman, now 59, has mellowed. He took three years away from training because of depression and heavy drinking following a divorce, and returned a year ago with rekindled enthusiasm.

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“I am really enjoying it (training) and doing it for all the right reasons — being with the horses and working with good people. To win a race on Derby Day (with Disposition) was a real thrill and if I could win the Cup again, well ...”

He knows more than anyone how difficult it is to win the Melbourne Cup, and believes it is not getting any easier.

“It is more difficult with the quality of horses from overseas. Australians may be able to buy them (international horses) but they are not buying the quality of the ones coming here for the Cup.”

While Freedman plays down his position in Cup history, a look at other trainers reveals how far ahead of the pack he has jumped during his illustrious career.

Bart Cummings and Lee Freedman have won 17 Melbourne Cups between them.

There is Gai Waterhouse who saluted with Fiorente two years ago after that horse finished second the previous year. She also ran second with Nothin’ Leica Dame in 1995 and Te Akou Nick in 1993.

Add David Hayes, now in training partnership with Tom Dabernig, who won with Jeune in 1994.

And then there is Robert Hickmott, who became the first former AFL player to train a Cup winner when Green Moon won in 2012 for Lloyd and Nick Williams.

So it is Freedman five wins, the rest a combined three.

Consider that Australia’s dominant Group 1 trainer Chris Waller’s only result is third with Who Shot Thebarman last year; that Victoria’s leading trainer Darren Weir’s best result is second with She’s Archie in 2003; that John O’Shea hasn’t come close and that the who’s who of international racing is still eagerly awaiting their first Cup success.

Freedman takes Melbourne Cup hopeful Our Ivanhowe for a swim at Flemington. Picture: Getty Images

Aidan O’Brien is universally accepted as the world’s leading trainer. His best result has been Mahler’s third in 2007.

Ask Ed Dunlop how hard it is to win the Cup. He has finished runner-up three times with Red Cadeaux. And Saeed Bin Suroor has tried for more than a decade and counts two seconds with Central Park (1999) and Crime Scene (2009).

Former champion jockey Willie Mullins, who’s Simenon finished fourth two years ago, will have another crack while Sir Michael Stoute, Japan’s Yoshitada Munakata and Yasutoshi Matsunaga, the UK’s Michael Bell and Richard Charlton also will discover what a great handicap the Melbourne Cup is, and more than likely how difficult it is to win.

Then spare a thought for Jamie Edwards, the Geelong trainer who sends around the outsider Sertorius.

As busy as Edwards will be as the Cup start approaches, he will likely be one of the multitude in the mounting yard — and beyond — sneaking a peek at D.L. Freedman, the reigning doyen of Melbourne Cup trainers.

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Originally published as Lee Freedman stands out as new icon of Melbourne Cup after death of Bart Cummings