3 minute read

Fresh from bringing Super Easy's unblemished record to 11 from 11 in last Sunday's Group 3 Paititi Gold Trophy (1200m), trainer Michael Freedman is already hard at work putting the final touches on another “Super” horse.

Going with his dominant victory in one of the barrier trials on Tuesday, Super Junior, an unraced two-year-old by the same sire as Super Easy's, Darci Brahma, has certainly drawn plenty of hype even before he steps into his racing plates at Kranji.

Ridden by Super Easy's regular partner Joao Moreira, Super Junior, who as his name suggests is also raced by the same connections as Super Easy, the Joy N Happiness Stable, found the lead after 300m before opening up for a commanding break at the top of the straight to eventually pull away from the pack for a 6 ¼-lenth win from The Great Grey (Stephen Baster) in 1min 1.12secs.

A NZ$100,000 yearling purchase at last year's Karaka Sales in New Zealand, Super Junior has a hard act to follow in his unbeaten stablemate, but his record of three barrier trial wins from as many runs puts him in good stead.

While the colt's first two wins were arguably not as breathtaking, Tuesday's romp with blinkers on for the first time has left plenty of room for the imagination.

“Joao rode him at his first trial and he won, but he said he was looking around a lot,” said Freedman.

“After Joao went away [to Brazil for holidays] for a couple of weeks, Steve [Baster] rode him at his second trial. He also said he had to push him a fair bit and he was having a good look around.

“I'm not the sort who likes to trial my two-year-olds too often, but I made an exception with this one as he is also a gross sort who needs more work.

“He was also very laid back and lazy when he got here. That was why I decided to put a set of blinkers on him to straighten him up this morning, and he won a very nice trial.”

The $200,000 Group 3 Magic Millions Juvenile Championship (1200m) is coming up next Sunday week [July 29], but Freedman, who also prepares Super Good, a winner last Sunday, and the unraced Super Shadow and Super Ninetyseven for the same owners, is not one to get ahead of himself.

“I don't know if he will go for the Magic Millions Juvenile Championship or not. I'll have to see how he gets on with the job first,” said Freedman.

“It's quite a big ask to get a two-year-old to have his first race in a race as particularly important as the Juvenile.

“Besides I've already got two other good two-year-olds in Empire Bay and Super Good, who both won over the weekend.”

Freedman was taking the same tried-and-tested approach he adopted with Super Easy when he first arrived. Unlike Super Junior who is unraced, the eventual Singapore juvenile and 3YO champion landed in Singapore with a record of three runs (including one win and a fourth in the Karaka Million), but still skipped the Juvenile to make his Kranji debut as a three-year-old on August 7.

“No doubt he [Super Junior] is a nice horse but I think he will learn more about racing with more experience under his belt,” he added.

“I think he will be a better horse for the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge next year.”

Freedman said he bought Super Junior after he was told by Andre Lim and Hong Ying Kwee, the two partners of Joy N Happiness Stable, to look out for any Darci Brahmas at the Karaka Sales.

“At the time, we already had an idea how good Super Easy was. The owners only told me it would be nice if we could buy another yearling by Darci Brahma,” recalled Freedman.

“I spoke with my bloodstock agent Michael Wallace and he shortlisted a selection of half a dozen and we settled for this one.

“He was bred by a good friend of mine, Peter Vela of Pencarrow Stud. I also liked the dam side – Summary – who is by [Golden Slipper winner] Tierce and has a nice pedigree.

“He was quite a gross immature type, though, and that was probably why he didn't sell as well. We paid only NZ$100,000 for him.

“I told the owners I thought he was a slow developing sort when we bought him and we should leave him in New Zealand a bit longer to let him mature further.

“He however has a lovely temperament and that to me is one of the qualities of a good horse.”