Richard and Michael Freedman enjoyed a successful first season with their two-year-olds and they have continued the new term in the same vein.
Debutant Tiger Of Malay came from behind the speed to overpower his rivals in the Kirkham Plate (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday to earn a possible tilt at the Golden Gift.
The Freedmans had a great back-end of the season with their juveniles last term and continue to build the foundations of their stable on young horses.
“That’s the key to it, I think. If you haven’t got nice, young stock coming through it makes it tough, especially in Sydney racing,” Michael Freedman said.
“We’ve probably got a few more than last year and maybe a greater depth of quality.”
The colt is the Freedmans’ first runner for rising Hunter Valley operation Newgate Farm, which stands his sire Extreme Choice.
Tiger Of Malay also gave the freshman stallion his first Australian winner and a Trans-Tasman double after Extreme Choice produced Palamos to win in New Zealand on Saturday.
If the colt comes through his Randwick win well, Freedman will consider a start in the $1 million Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill in two weeks.
A win in that race would give him enough prize money to be assured of a start in the Golden Slipper.
“He is a lovely colt. We’ve been fortunate enough to be given a few of these by Newgate and their bloodstock partnerships,” Freedman said.
“He will learn a lot from today. There is improvement to come.”
Ridden by Jason Collett, Tiger Of Malay ($9) scored by a half-length from Cerda ($11) with Mura Mura ($4.40 fav) the same margin away third.
