| Stay Inside scored a runaway win in today’s $3.5 million Group One Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) emerging as the Southern Hemisphere’s hottest juvenile colt in the process. |
The Extreme Choice colt made up for a luckless last start fourth in the Todman Stakes with a truly dominant performance in the world’s richest juvenile event. The colt burst to the front in the straight and despite being eased down late he held a one and three quarter length margin over the Godolphin colt Anamoe. The win was the third for champion jockey Tommy Berry, but first for the training partnership of brothers, Richard and Michael Freedman. “It’s a huge thrill,” Richard Freedman said. “Michael has done a great job with the two-year-olds as he always does.” “The horse looked beautiful today. “He’s such a professional,” Michael said of Stay Inside. “You can make all the plans in the world from the barriers but Tommy rode him to absolute perfection.” “He was able to find the right spot and conserve his energy and he’s got a wicked turn of foot. He’s the real deal.” “To come away with the winner, I’m almost speechless. My staff at Randwick who look after all these young horses – do such an amazing job. They’ve been up since 3 o’clock to get these horses ready.” Michael Freedman got extra satisfaction from the win considering good friend Tommy Berry was in the saddle. “It goes right back to Singapore when I was there Nathan was my stable rider up there when he tragically passed away and Tommy and I have had a pretty special bond since then.” “It’s a touch of irony that he ended up on the horse today,” Michael added. An emotional Tommy Berry said he was delighted to be able to deliver a Slipper for a family he’s so close to. “Michael has been a good family friend since Nathan passed away – he, his beautiful wife Anna and his family,” Berry said. “Before he had his first start I said he would need some time – now he’s won a bloody Golden Slipper!” “To do it for the Freedman family just means so much for me. To have my family and my kids here as well – you have so many bad days in the sport, but you always go back to them,” an emotional Berry added. Stay Inside continued a remarkable trend for colts sold at auction to win a Golden Slipper. Nine of them have done it this millennium – all nine sold at the Gold Coast. The exciting colt will be out to emulate other Magic Millions sold stars like Sebring, Pierro, Vancouver, Stratum and Capitalist who have made impacts at stud after winning the Slipper. Last year’s winner Farnan was another sold at the Gold Coast. Stay Inside was bred by Matthew Sandblom’s Kingstar Farm and sold for $60,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale. The colt was then prepared by the Newgate Farm team for the 2020 Gold Coast Yearling Sale where trainers Richard and Michael Freedman teamed up with Rick Connolly to secure him for $200,000. Stay Inside is one of three stakes performers from the first crop of Extreme Choice – a Blue Diamond and Moir Stakes winning son of Not a Single Doubt. His dam, the Anabaa mare Nothin Leica Storm was a winner over 1150 metres and Stay Inside is her first named runner. Winner: Stay Inside Breeding: Extreme Choice-Nothin Leica Storm (Anabaa) Race: ATC Golden Slipper Stakes G1 (1200m) Breeder: Kingstar Farm Sold for: $60,000 Sale: 2019 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale Vendor: Kingstar Farm (As Agent) Buyer: Newgate Bloodstock Sold for: $200,000 Sale: 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Vendor: Newgate Farm (As Agent) Buyer: Freedman Brothers/Rick Connolly Bloodstock Earnings: $2,237,350 Owners: Newgate Bloodstock, C Pickford, M Skinner, M Davidson, K Hamman, C Lamond, J Wilson, GOTG Racing, L Myers, S Aboud, M Barakat, M Blundell, S Tilley, M Pond, K Wilson, China Horse Club Racing, Horse Ventures, Newgate SF, Go Bloodstock Aust & Grant Lowe Bloodstock Trainers: Richard & Michael Freedman (Randwick) |
