Trainers Lee Freedman and Andreas Wohler spoke enthusiastically about their prospects of winning Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) after track work at the Werribee quarantine centre on Tuesday morning.
Freedman, now training in partnership with his brother Anthony, chases a fifth Caulfield Cup win while German visitor Wohler boasts success with Protectionist in the 2014 Melbourne Cup from just two previous trips to Australia.
The local trainer is represented by last year’s third place getter Our Ivanhowe and stable debutant Exospheric, who was formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute in England, while Wohler saddles up - for the first time - recent Hanover Group 3 winner Articus who was transferred from Waldemar Hickst after his purchase by Australian Bloodstock.
“Our Ivanhowe’s in terrific form,” Freedman said, “his work was fantastic this morning. He’s a good Caulfield horse and, to my eye, he’s a better horse this year than last.”
Freedman is also pleased with the progress of Exospheric who raced as Exosphere in the UK. “His work was sound this morning. He had a good hit-out over 1400m with a partner and they ran home sharply. Obviously we’re still getting a handle on him but he’s eaten well; he’s relaxed and happy and I’d say he’s certainly fit enough.”
Freedman said he expected both horses to run ‘really well’ but added that he was wary of the German visitor, the two other visiting runners Scottish and Sir Isaac Newton and the current favourite Jameka.
“Articus has impressed me down here at Werribee. Andreas is very bubbly and obviously happy with his horse. He’s got a low weight, a very good trainer and a very good jockey (Zac Purton).”
“Scottish and Sir Isaac Newton have also done well. The facilities are so good at Werribee that very few horses don’t settle in well here and thrive. There’s obviously not much between my horse Exospheric and the other two on their form-lines and meetings in the UK and it would be foolish to discount Jameka as she’s in such good form,” Freedman said.
Wohler believes that Articus is the right horse for the race despite the fact that he’s not raced beyond 2200m - 200 metres short of Saturday’s trip.
“The trip won’t worry him. He’s an athletic horse with tactical speed which is what you need for this race. He may not be the most attractive horse but he’s a good racehorse and I think he’ll run out the distance. I’d hope he could slot in midfield and use his speed when it counts.”
“I’m very happy as he seems to be happy. I think he’s improved a bit since we took him over and he’s on an upward curve,” Wohler said.
Wohler said he was pleased to have aboard Australia’s Hong Kong based jockey Zac Purton, who won the Caulfield Cup on Admire Rakti in 2014. “We wanted an Australian jockey with Caulfield Cup experience and Zac fits the bill,” he said.
