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Freedman Racing has developed training and spelling facilities second to none in the world. The complexes have been built and function on the back of nearly 30 years of experience training, spelling and breeding thoroughbreds in all types of environments.
These wonderful facilities are the backbone to the recent outstanding success of Lee Freedman.
Horses thrive in their provincial environment, and Freedman has been able to continue his dominance of Australian racing at all levels - stayers, sprinters, classics and juveniles features.
Since Freedman's move to the Mornington Peninsula in 2002, he has trained:
- Champion mare Makybe Diva to win the 2004 and 2005 Melbourne Cups (3200m), and the 2005 Cox Plate (2040m).
- Mummify to win the 2003 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and a Singapore International Stakes (2000m)
- Champion filly Alinghi to win the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) and Newmarket Handicap (1200m).
- Benicio to win the 2005 Victoria Derby (2500m).
- Serenade Rose to take out the VRC Crown Oaks (2500m) and AJC Oaks (2400m) double in 2005-06.
- And the wonderful speed machine Miss Andretti to win four Group 1 sprints in season 2006-07, before trouncing the best sprinters in the world in the 2007 King's Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot.
MARKDEL
The Freedman brothers took a decision in 2002 to move "off course" and, after purchasing land at St. Andrews, near Rye, on the famous golf course sand belt on the Mornington Peninsula, they built the training complex now known as Markdel.
The Markdel name is a tribute to their mother Del Freedman and their oldest brother Mark.
This world-class training facility, which is a little more than an hour's drive from Melbourne, adjoins the Moonah Links Golf Resort, the occasional home of the Australian Open.
Markdel boasts a magnificent horseshoe shaped 1400-metre grass track that is 40 metres wide, allowing horses to gallop daily on a fresh, smooth and forgiving surface. The grass gallop has a testing uphill straight of 500 metres. The track has deep, cambered turns, rising steadily from the 600m to finish.
The grass track is complimented by a sand track that is ideal for fast gallops, and an invigorating, undulating jog-lead track that winds through the surrounding sand dunes.
The Freedmans have built a secure state-of-the-art stabling facility with 85 boxes. The horses are freshened in an array of day yards, and there are numerous large turnout paddocks in a magnificent natural environment. Although Markdel has an outstanding swimming pool, the Freedmans have the option of exercising their horses on some of the Peninsula's best beaches.
Markdel offers the best of both worlds - apart from being a highly professional world-class training complex, the horses, and the staff, thrive in the peaceful country environment.
ST. IVES
St. Ives is named after the family home, on Sydney's north shore, of Lee Freedman's great grandfather, former champion jockey Bill "Midge" McLachlan, who won three Melbourne Cups on Prince Foote (1909), Comedy King (1910) and Westcourt (1917).
St. Ives is the first Mornington Peninsula property bought and developed by the Freedman brothers.
The Freedmans' love affair of the Mornington Peninsula began in 1996, when they bought part of Norm and Dizzie Carlyon's Muranna Park Stud, at Merrick's North.
What attracted them to this picturesque, undulating property, was the inclusion of a modern stable block and 1600-metre sand track which was part of Muranna's pre-training arm. The Freedmans quickly re-developed, and renamed, the complex and surrounding land to their liking. St. Ives became an integral part of their training regime, spelling and feeding horses into their Caulfield training base. St. Ives features include:
- 40 stable boxes
- 1600m pre-training track.
- Spelling Paddocks
- Day Yards
- Beach access
The importance of St. Ives has been further enhanced by the move in 2002 of the Freedmans from Caulfield to Markdel, near Rye, a 20-minute drive south on the peninsula. While Markdel is surrounded by some of Australia's best golf resorts, St. Ives is nestled in wine country, and it adjoins the aptly named Box Stallion winery that incorporates the magnificent stallion barn that was once part of Murrana's breeding division. St. Ives is conveniently placed as a spelling farm to feed the juveniles into nearby Denistoun Park, from where all the Freedman two-year-olds start their education. St. Ives is a perfectly safe and peaceful environment for racehorses when they are spelling from the rigors of racing.
DENISTOUN PARK
Denistoun Park is the brainchild of Daryl Henwood, a builder whose racing connection began as the son-in-law of famous Mornington trainer, Theo Howe. In 2002, Henwood developed Denistoun Park, on Balnarring Road, Tuerong, only minutes from the front gate of the Freedmans' farm St. Ives. Henwood had an ambition to build one of Australia's most outstanding agistment and training farms. No stone has been unturned to achieve his inspiration. In 2006, the Freedman brothers took over the lease of the training division of Denistoun Park, and redeveloped the track to include long, sweeping turns and an uphill run.
All the Freedman juveniles start their training and racing careers under the guidance of Anthony Freedman at Denistoun Park. The horses are housed in a modern, spacious 42 box, walk-in, walk-out stable complex. The undulating 1650-metre grass track is fully irrigated and boasts a testing 400-metre uphill straight finish. Inside the grass track is a 1600-metre sand track of the highest quality.
The horses also have the use of a 65-metre straight swimming pool, as well as spacious day yards.
IF YOU asked me for two personal Cox Plate memories, the ones that stick out are the day the green colours went flying through the air.
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The Freedman brothers took a decision in 2002 to switch from a metropolitan training regime to a unique environment on the Mornington Peninsula - they built the world-class complex known as Markdel
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