Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Fashion Legend was still a ‘gangly teenager’ when he won four in a row, including a Group 3, in the early summer but according to co-trainer Will Freedman the three-year-old is growing up fast.

Will Freedman (Pic: Bradley Photos)

While it wasn’t the initial plan for Fashion Legend to contest the Listed $200,000 De Bortoli Wines Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Gosford on Saturday, Freedman said the scenario lends itself to the gelding setting up his winter campaign with a forward showing.

After drawing barrier 11 on the Sunshine Coast, the inside alley at Gosford appealed more to the Freedman camp.

“Plan A was to go up for the Gold Coast Guineas because he was so well in at the weights but drawing where he did it’s just too hard a task first-up,’’ he said.

“It’s not the simplest of draws at Gosford being a tight turning track but if he can jump on terms and can sit just behind the leaders he’ll get the run of the race.

“Often if you’re sitting right on the leader’s back there’s usually room for a horse or two to come through.

“He doesn’t necessarily have to win on Saturday to have the same goal of trying to get a golden ticket into the Stradbroke. But I wouldn’t rule him out because he’s definitely more forward than we’ve had him.”

The three-year-old started out with Will Freedman at his Scone base but by the time he made his debut in June last year he was part of the Richard and Will Freedman partnership.

He’s a special horse to Will Freedman, though, being the first horse sent to him by Hong Kong based Everest winning owner Bon Ho.

“He’s been such a loyal owner and continued to support us and this horse has just been a marvel,’’ Freedman said.

“Not many horses win four on the bounce and he went from winning a Gosford Class 1 to a Magic Millions Guineas. I thought there was a little bit of class in that race, Yellow Brick is a good horse, and he could become a high quality animal.

“He’s probably got a couple of ticks to go before we put him in that elite class.”

Regan Bayliss takes the ride on Fashion Legend, $7 with TAB on Thursday, in the Takeover Target and Freedman said if the race comes down to a fight he’d side with his horse any day of the week.

He’s in receipt of 3.5kg from top weight Think About It, also likely Stradbroke bound.

“Physically he has taken improvement. Last prep he was sort of a gangly teenager and now he’s becoming a young man,’’ he said.

“The great asset of Fashion Legend is there’ll be very few horses that are as tough as him.

“There may be a horse on Saturday that is too brilliant for him over 1200m but if he can be close enough he will be very competitive.”

Stablemate Unamerican ticked off Big Dance eligibility with his easy win in the Orange Cup (2100m) last month and will look to back up that win in the Prestige Wedding & Event Hire Handicap (2100m) at Gosford.

Freedman said the rapid improvement the gelding showed to win at Orange wasn’t a complete surprise and warned he’s not simply a heavy tracker as his record would show.

Fashion Legend wins a Warwick Farm trial on April 21

The almost five length win was his first placing on heavy ground in six attempts.

“His run at Newcastle was very good for a horse that had come off a bit of a break and was first-up,’’ he said.

“It was about as well as he could run there and he just took a heap of improvement from it. The planets all aligned and he was given a perfect ride by Winona Costin.

“People will misread Orange a little bit. It was a heavy 9 through the main part of the track but once they got out to that ambulance track it was a good surface.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Gosford meeting