When Michael Freedman left Australia to take up training in Singapore, he was venturing largely into the unknown.
Three years later, the major uncertainty is whether he will ever return to Australia.
Freedman, 43, came to one of the world’s fastest growing racing centres with a name well known in Australia, with a small team of horses, a wife and three children.
“I wanted to challenge myself,” Freedman said.
“I’d worked in the family set-up at home, but I wanted to train in my own right and I couldn’t see the sense in doing that in Australia.
“This was a terrific opportunity, not only to train, but to give my family the chance to live overseas and experience all that you can experience over here.”
The latest challenge for Freedman comes on Sunday when he saddles up Better Be The One, the best horse he’s trained, in the $S1 million KrisFlyer Sprint (1200m), a race in which he is opposed by the local champion Rocket Man.
Better Be The One made Freedman’s first venture onto the international stage a pleasing one when he ran third in the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai on World Cup night,
That performance was eclipsed when Rocket Man made amends for a frustrating time in international Group One race when he won the Golden Shaheen in Dubai on the same night.
“We’re certainly up against it taking on Rocket Man again, but he’s entitled to be in this class of race and I’m sure he’ll do his best,” Freedman said.
If Better Be The One does as well as his trainer, he will have achieved a lot.
Freedman has trained almost 150 winners in Singapore since arriving in the island republic in April 2008 with 15 horses.
“All of those 15 horses picked up one or two races, which helped a lot to get things going,” he said.
“Obviously, the family name is well known in Australia, but over here it didn’t play much part.
“You are judged here by the winners you train.”
Rocket Man, who returned to racing after his trip to Dubai with a hollow victory at Singapore’s Kranji course earlier this month, is stifling betting on the KrisFlyer and is bound to start a warm favourite despite being opposed by the Hong Kong pair Sacred Kingdom and Green Birdie who have beaten him into second place in the past two runnings of this race.
Sacred Kingdom resumed in Hong Kong three weeks ago with a slightly disappointing second and on Sunday will be ridden by Glen Boss who takes over from Brett Prebble.
Sunday’s other feature, the Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) shapes as more open race with Hong Kong’s California Memory favoured ahead of Dubai Duty Free winner Presvis.
AAP TURF
