Freedman has Asakura primed for Kiwi raid

WHILE they will have one of New Zealand racing’s most exciting prospects to contend with, Ballarat trainer Mitch Freedman is confident Asakura can make his presence felt across the Tasman in the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie Racecourse this Saturday.

Always held in high regard by his dual Group 1 winning trainer, the gelded son of Churchill will carry Australia’s hopes into the coveted slot race.

Unlike last year when three Australian-trained gallopers contested the race, including the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Evaporate, who finished second, Asakura will be flying solo in this year’s event.

While the presence of Well Written, unbeaten in five starts to date, winning by a cumulative margin of nearly 20 lengths, has likely scared some trainers in both countries off, Freedman is undaunted.

He is convinced Asakura, a winner of two of four career starts and coming off a second behind Sixties in the Group 3 Colin Hayes Stakes (1400m) in mid-February, will be super-competitive.

That form was franked last Saturday when Sixties backed up with a luckless third at Group 1 level behind the Ciaron Maher-trained Observer in the $1 million Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.

“He’s a horse with plenty of upside but he is still learning,” Freedman said on Tuesday morning, the day before his departure for New Zealand.

“We thought he was a pretty nice horse early and he’s continued to step up. Some of them don’t, but he has.

“It’s going to be an acid test for him, but I’m confident he can run well and I look forward to seeing him take part in it.”

Whichever way you analyse The Kiwi, which is New Zealand’s richest horse race – and Freedman has dissected it from all angles – there is no escaping the shadow of boom filly Well Written.

Already a Group 1 winner and successful twice at Group 2 level in her burgeoning career, the three-year-old daughter of Written Tycoon was simply devastating in winning the $1.5 million Karaka Millions (1600m) by six lengths at her last start in January.

“I’m not sure how you beat her, she’s pretty exciting,” was Freedman’s blunt assessment.

“She has got to carry a bit of a penalty in the weights; she’s got to meet us on level weights.

“Usually the fillies would get a bit of an allowance, so that’s one little positive for us.

“I mean, the way she won the Karaka Millions suggests she is going to keep on winning, but hopefully we can give her a bit of a shake.”

Adding to the positivity emanating from his Ballarat base, Freedman said Asakura’s preparation had been ‘fantastic’ and without hiccup.

“He’s done all his preparation as far as work goes, he just needs to travel well,” he said.

“He’s done it before; he was purchased over there as a yearling and travelled over here coming this way, so hopefully he does well going back the other way.

 

“He kind of takes it all (the travelling) in his stride.

“We’re happy with everything we’ve done with him.

“We made the decision four or five days after his last run that we would go to New Zealand and run in The Kiwi.

“We decided to bypass the Australian Guineas and give him three weeks between runs and go and chase the prize money.

“Sixties ran really well in the Guineas; he probably didn’t have a lot of luck go his way.

“He looks like a horse who is destined to win at the top level.

“It just goes to show that Asakura is probably not far off the top three-year-olds in Australia.

“I think any of that is good enough to be competitive over in New Zealand, but we’ve got Well Written to take on this year, who looks like an exceptional talent.”

Asakura will boast a further Australian connection, with his slot holder being prominent thoroughbred owner Ozzie Kheir, who secured the rights ahead of intense interest from other parties.

The slot race is an exciting next venture for Freedman, who has savoured Group 1 success twice in his training career, with Attrition in the 2023 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield and Skybird in last year’s Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.

Skybird was to be the 37-year-old’s first slot race runner in last year’s $20 million The Everest at Randwick, before being scratched due to injury.

The path to The Kiwi has fortunately been a much smoother one.

Asakura will be ridden in The Kiwi by six-time Group 1 winner Dean Yendall, who has partnered him in all four starts to date.

Following a massive spring in which Ballarat trainers dominated the big Melbourne races, headlined by the McEvoys’ Melbourne and Caulfield Cup triumphs with Half Yours and Thomas Carberry’s fairytale Oaks win with Strictly Business, coming off the back of more overseas success for Henry Dwyer with Asfoora, Freedman would love to keep the momentum rolling.

“The Kiwi is a little bit different – a little bit left of centre,” he said.

“Certainly four or five years ago I wasn’t expecting to travel horses to New Zealand to run in a big prizemoney race like this – that opportunity simply wasn’t there.

“New Zealand racing has done a great job of pumping the race up and we’re just keen to be taking part in it.

“It’s a big achievement for everyone in our team.

“Hopefully he can acquit himself well.”