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Lee Freedman returns to familiar turf of Randwick after seven years with promising sprinter Flag Hall

Lee Freedman will make a return to Sydney’s premier racetrack for the first time since 2017 with a five-length Queensland bush winner.

Ray Thomas
4 min read
July 11, 2024 - 2:00PM
Lee Freedman with Tegan Harrison after Yiska won at Doomben. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography
Lee Freedman with Tegan Harrison after Yiska won at Doomben. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

Hall of Fame trainer Lee Freedman has his first runner at Royal Randwick for seven years when speedy Flag Hall contests the ASX Maurice Farhart Handicap (1100m) on Saturday.

Freedman once had a stable base at Randwick and won many races there including Super Impose’s famous repeat wins in the Doncaster Handicap-Epsom Handicap double in 1990 and 1991.

The champion trainer also won three AJC (now ATC) Australian Derbys with Naturalism (1992), Mahogany (1994) and Don Eduardo (2002), two Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Durbridge (1994) and Doriemus (1996), and a Sydney Cup with Count Chivas (1996) at Randwick.

But Freedman struggled to remember the last winner he trained at Sydney’s premier racetrack.

“I knew someone would ask me this so I’ve had a bit of a look and I think it was with Shoals in the Percy Sykes Stakes in 2017 when I was training with (brother) Anthony,” Freedman said.

“I don’t think I’ve had any runners at Randwick since Shoals, certainly not since I left to train in Singapore.

“The last Randwick winner I had on my own might have been Speed Gifted in the 2009 The Metropolitan.”

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Freedman’s career has taken a few twists and turns since Speed Gifted.

The champion trainer was in a partnership for a short period with Graeme Rogerson, then he took a break from the sport before joining forces with his brother, Anthony, for three seasons prior to moving to Singapore in 2018.

“I was in Singapore for three-and-a-half years,” Freedman said.

“Let’s just say Singapore had everything going for it but was not well run.”

Freedman returned to Australia three years ago and set up a stable base at the Gold Coast where he has about 35 in work.

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“I enjoy living here, the weather is beautiful, it’s a good spot,” he said.

Freedman, who has trained 124 Group 1 winners including five Melbourne Cups, four Caulfield Cups, four Golden Slippers and prepared champions like Makybe Diva, Super Impose, Mahogany, Naturalism, Mannerism, Doriemus, Alinghi and Miss Andretti, makes the occasional foray over the border to race in the northern region of NSW these days but Flag Hall is the first time the trainer has sent a runner to Sydney since Shoals.

Flag Hall, a three-year-old chestnut gelding by Starspangledbanner, has won four races (and six minor placings) from 12 starts including his most recent run when he bolted home by more than five lengths at Gatton.

“The reason I sent Flag Hall down to Sydney is because you run out of options for three-year-olds in Queensland,” Freedman said.

“He will be right once he turns four, other races kick in for him then, but he’s a good, honest horse and this looks a suitable race for him.”

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Flag Hall is rated a $7.50 chance in latest TAB Fixed Odds betting behind form filly In Flight, the $3.90 favourite.

“I wouldn’t normally send a horse to Sydney, I’m not a mug and realise most of the time they are just better horses than these ones,” Freedman said.

“But Flag Hall has been very consistent carrying big weights up here and he gets some weight relief from a good, young, in-form apprentice (Molly Bourke, 2kg).

“He drops 3kg on what he carried the other day, he has got the one gate, he has tons of speed and he should handle the heavy track.

“I feel if they have five of six things in their favour you are mad not to run. It doesn’t mean they will win but it gives them a competitive chance.”

Freedman said had no qualms booking Bourke to ride Flag Hall after watching her ride a double at Randwick last week.

“After she rode that double I rang straight away to get her for Flag Hall,” Freedman said.

“She did lose a kilo last week and is down to 2kg now but she is one of a string of very good girl riders coming through.”

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Bourke will wear the famous Freedman family colours of red, purple sash, white sleeves and purple cap on Flag Hall, a consistent sprinter who has finished top two in nine of his 12 starts and only twice has finished out of the placings.

“Once he ran unplaced on the Polytrack (Gold Coast) and once in town (Eagle Farm) when he got into trouble in the race,” Freedman said.

“They are the only two bad runs he has put in. He either wins or is in the money.”

Freedman said Flag Hall is an imposing three-year-old gelding who will benefit from the experience of travelling interstate and racing in Sydney.

“It has been a valuable exercise for Flag Hall as he needed a trip like this to season him up,” Freedman said.

“When you see him on Saturday, he’s a magnificent, good-looking animal – he stands 16 hands, weighs 550kg and his coat is blood red.

“We have placed him carefully but he is getting better and from the one gate, if he gets out he will run a race.”

Originally published as Lee Freedman returns to familiar turf of Randwick after seven years with promising sprinter Flag Hall

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Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/sport/horse-racing/lee-freedman-returns-to-the-familiar-turf-of-randwick-for-the-first-time-in-seven-years-with-up-and-coming-sprinter-flag-hall/news-story/52c4ae5b271321ed1187234c3735a188