| Point Barrow capped a brilliant spring campaign when she stormed home for a sensational win in Saturday’s $3 million Group One Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington. |
| In beating a field that contained recent Everest winner Tempted and crack mare Joliestar, Point Barrow provided a massive pointer to January’s 2027 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Not only is she a graduate of the 2024 edition of the sale, where she realised $400,000, her half brother by Hellbent is heading to the next edition in January for Yarraman Park Stud. “It’s been a long week and the team turned her out in great shape,” co-trainer Sam Freedman said. “She’s a good mare and I had good confidence coming into the race albeit with Tempted in the field.” “She’s been a bloody good mare for a while and it’s been a long time coming. I’m glad she’s got the win at the top level.” “She had been set for the race since the start of the prep. Once the rain didn’t come I knew she would reel off a brilliant last 400 (metres) and Mark Zahra, he tends to get it right on the big days.” “I can believe she’s a Group One winner because she’s knocking on the door and after her first up run, we decided to drop her back, earn her stripes and try to set ourselves for this race.” “Credit to Sonia and the team, and Ryan who rides her at home. She gets a bit spicy at times, but it’s funny. I mean, she’s actually been putting on weight through the prep, I said to the boys in the tie-ups, I don’t know if she got away from me between runs but she’s six or seven kilos heavier than she was when she won at Caulfield, but she’s got a devastating turn of foot.” “Once she was sort of in touch with them at the 300, I knew we had the man on board to to get her through a gap and drive her through.” “She’s very good down the straight. She’s only had the one look, but her straight line speed. You see it at Caulfield half the time she goes there, when she balances up, she’s just got such a good turn of foot. So as long as she was in touch, she was always going to be closing off.”Point Barrow races in the familiar Halo Racing colours of the McKenna family and Freedman said the scintillating sprinter had a great ownership group. “Janice McKenna, the McClures, the Cunninghams. Col McKenna came into her originally and he passed away. For Janice, it’s pretty emotional for her. She’s been awesome to train for. She rings me on race morning and asks how are we going to go and this morning I said we’d give them a bit of a scare. I’m so glad she’s on track for the win.” “He’s cool, calm and collected.” Freedman said of rider Mark Zahra. “He has a plan when he goes into a race.” “He had a plan to follow the right horses, so when he lobbed the back of Tempted, I thought we’ll just follow her everywhere she goes, but we didn’t want to go out to the aerated part of the track, which I think is where Tempted probably ended up.” “We were keen to get inside that (line), and he’s just patient, backs himself in. Had some words to him on Tuesday after one ride, and we weren’t seeing eye to eye for a little bit. But it’s nice to back on good terms.” The win continue the love affair Zahra has for feature sprints down the famous Flemington six furlong straight. “I do like riding on the straight,” Zahra said. “I was following Tempted but I didn’t like how far out they were coming in the straight because it was out in the worst part. I waited and just needed a little bit of room when I went in.” “She’s got such a good turn of foot I was able to part the seas and she was in for the fight late. They came at her late. She dug in and I always say the fresh horse on the scene, that hasn’t been to The Everest, is the one and she’s got the chips. A good effort.” “Most of my career has been with the Freedmans and you know when you’re riding a horse for that stable and they’ve set a race for it, it’s so fulfilling when it comes off,” Zahra added. A daughter of Shamardal’s twice King’s Stand Stakes winner Blue Point, Point Barrow was a $400,000 buy for Freedman Racing at the 2024 Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She is one of two named foals to date for the Group Three winning mare Take Pride. Her other runner is a multiple winner and Hong Kong placegetter. A winner of the Champagne Stakes at Moonee Valley and placed twice at stakes level at Flemington, Take Pride is a daughter of 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reward for Effort. Her latest yearling, a lovely Hellbent colt, will be presented as Lot 667 at the 2027 Gold Coast Yearling Sale in the Yarraman Park Stud draft. The catalogue for this sale will be released very soon! Winner: Point Barrow Breeding: Blue Point-Take Pride (Reward for Effort) Race: VRC Champions Sprint G1 (1200m) Sold for: $400,000 Sale: 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Earnings: $2,652,420 Breeder: Morning Rise Stud, Robert McClure, Barbara McClure, Yarraman Park Vendor: Yarraman Park Stud Buyer: Freedman Racing Owners: Mrs BM McClure, R McClure, Halo Racing Services Pty Ltd (Mgr: CB McKenna) & Ridgmont (Mgr: M Cunningham) Trainers: Anthony & Sam Freedman (Mornington) |
