Leica Larrikin will train under Les Bridge for the Spring Carnival and will target the Group 1 Epsom Handicap

Les Bridge is the man who will benefit from a training change implemented by the controlling owners of Leica Larrikin for the upcoming spring carnival.

Currently working for trainer and part owner Richard Freyer at Cowra in New South Wales, the gelding will be sent to Bridge with the ultimate goal being the Group 1 Epsom and then potentially onto Melbourne.

Leica Larrikin hasn’t raced since running at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day where he finished well behind the winner.

Previous to that he ran in the Epsom and ran home well late but could only do enough for 9th spot.

That was his first start in Sydney but it will now become his new home.

The horse’s majority owners are Alan and Marg Eaton who also bred him.

He’s a full brother to Leica Falcon which spent a good deal of time battling his way around the top grades during the spring carnival as well.

While that horse stayed with Freyer throughout his career the Eaton’s maintain that the split is amicable and is simply in the horses best interests.

The thinking is that he’ll run better around right handed tracks and they want to give him as much time as possible to settle in.

The rising six-year-old has had 18 starts in his career for five wins and four placings.

Three of those five wins though have been around the left handed Flemington track.

Still, the clock is ticking and they want to give him every possible chance this prep.

“It’s nothing against Richard Freyer at all. It was a very difficult decision to make and he understands it’s in the horse’s best interests,” Marg Eaton said.

“We just want Leica Larrikin to be trained on the track where he will be predominantly racing this campaign.

“The horse has ¬previously had some ¬issues with travelling and we feel he will benefit from being trained on a bigger track.”

She says she also hopes that having him based at the big metro facility will mean he can strike up a partnership with a top jockey.
“Hopefully he will have the same track rider on race days so he can get to know the horse better. He is not an easy horse to ride,” Eaton said.

The horse has had more than eight months off and is now starting to get back in work at Murwillumbah during pre-training.

He’ll be transferred to Les Bridge later in the month.

Leica Larrikin is well bred and shares the sire Nothin’ Leica Dane not only with his full brother Leica Falcon but also half sister Hot Danish.

She was also trained by Bridge until contracting a leg infection and having to be put down earlier in the year.