German import Waldpark has arrived at Anthony Freedman’s Flemington stables on target for a Melbourne Spring Carnival campaign.
Mawingo, blue and white, winning the Doomben Cup for Anthony Freedman. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Freedman has had great success with European imports and hopes that Waldpark can follow in the footsteps of Mawingo and Lucas Cranach and go on to win at weight for age.
“He arrived at the Flemington stables a month ago after doing quarantine. I’m literally still getting to know him,” Freedman said.
“He’s a strong horse. He’s still quite a few weeks away from being ready to race.”
Freedman still has plenty of time to work out the Dubawi five year old and the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 will be Waldpark’s main Spring target.
Waldpark has four wins in Germany to his credit including the 2011 Group 1 €500,000 Deutsches Derby (2400m) at Hamburg in Germany in which Mawingo finished fourth.
Under Freedman’s care in Australia, Mawingo went on to win the 2012 Group 1 $500,000 Kirks Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben.
Freedman also had success with another German import, Lucas Cranach, but recurring foot problems has restricted the Mamool six year old to only three starts for the stable.
Lucas Cranach went into the 2011 Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield under a cloud but ran a creditable fifth behind Southern Speed, pulling up slightly lame.
But Freedman was able to treat the problem and saddled Lucas Cranach up for a third in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington, beaten one and a half lengths by Dunaden and Red Cadeaux who went across the line locked together.
Freedman is looking forward to his first Spring working out of his new set-up at Flemington and is already full of expectation for plenty of his stable stars, including Wakeful Stakes winner Zydeco and rising three year old Cruden Bay.
Zydeco stamped her class with a win in the Group 2 $300,000 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington last Spring while Cruden Bay’s two wins to date has Freedman excited.
Cruden Bay has forced Freedman to eye off some of the major three year old races after scoring an easy two lengths win in the Listed $120,000 Alternate Railway St Albans Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 15.
The Not A Single Doubt colt will be nominated for the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12and the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 2.
Freedman is happy with his progress and will decide later into his preparation if he will step him up to the 1600m or keep to the shorter sprint distances.
“He’ll have a jumpout in the next couple of weeks,” Freedman said.
