Anthony Freedman was typically understated in his assessment after he and co-trainer son Sam added their names to the family’s Melbourne Cup legacy.
Key points:
Without A Fight’s victory gave the Freedman family its ninth Melbourne Cup triumphThe win was Anthony and Sam Freedman’s first triumph at the Melbourne Cup as co-trainersAnthony’s brother, Lee Freedman, won the family’s first Cup as trainers with Tawriffic in 1989
Without A Fight gave the family a ninth Cup triumph, surging home to secure a stirring victory under jockey Mark Zahra in front of packed stands at Flemington.
The triumph sparked wild celebrations for connections near the mounting yard, where Zahra’s wife Elyse and sister Claire led the charge.
Watching from home on the Mornington Peninsula, Anthony Freedman kept it cool.
“He gave me ‘that was pretty good today’. That was word for word what he said,” Sam Freedman said of his post-race conversation with Dad.
“As Mark (Zahra) knows, he’s very measured. He’s been there and done it.
“But it’s great to have his name on this because he’s been a part of when (Anthony’s brother) Lee was having a lot of success and I’m sure it means a lot to him.
“Even though he won’t say it, it will mean a lot to him to have won one of these now.”
Without A Fight’s win made the father-and-son duo the 12th trainers to win the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double in the same year.
And it continued the family’s long tradition of success in the race that stops a nation.
Anthony’s great-grandfather Bill McLachlan was the first jockey to win three Melbourne Cups, piloting Prince Foote and Comedy King in 1909 and 1910 before triumphing aboard Westcourt in 1917.
Lee Freedman trained five Cup winners with brothers Anthony, Michael and Richard all part of the Freedman Brothers Incorporated — aka FBI — team.
Lee’s early Cup wins came with Tawriffic (1989), Subzero (1992) and Doriemus (1995) before FBI guided Makybe Diva to the second and third victories (2004-2005) in a famous hat-trick.
“It’s pretty special,” Sam Freedman said.
“My great-great-grandfather was a jockey and we gradually got a bit taller from there.
“He won three Melbourne Cups and then Lee won five.
“We couldn’t let Lee have all the fun, so it was nice to win one.”
Lee was the first one to call Sam to congratulate him after Tuesday’s Cup success.
“He was an amazing mentor from a very young age, both he and Dad,” Sam said.
“Hopefully he’d be pretty proud.”
AAP
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