18 Feb 2023Elliptical completed an outstanding day for us when he returned in a blaze of glory to triumph in a memorable edition of the G3 CS Hayes Stakes over 1400 metres at Flemington.
We are fortunate to share in the ownership group of the high-class son of Dundeel, who powered home in cracking style with Holymanz in our stud’s colours finishing a gallant runner-up and setting up a renewal in the G1 Australian Guineas in a fortnight.
Elliptical's first-up victory followed a terrific day for us on the domestic scene at Pukekohe where Aquacade careered away with the G2 Avondale Cup and our game little mare Funny Girl accounted for the open class sprinters.
Elliptical is trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman and showed his quality last season with a debut victory and then progressed to post Group 1 runner-up finishes in the Caulfield Guineas and Spring Champion Stakes.
The colt was then put aside after he ran a creditable seventh against the older horses in the G1 Mackinnon Stakes and showed the benefit of a break with his effort to come from well back at Caulfield to resume in style.
“We thought he was going well, but he had drawn very badly and wanted him to be strong late,” Anthony Freedman said.
“It was great and to get up and win points to good things to come. He toughened up in the spring and he has come back well.”
Elliptical drifted well back in the running from a wide gate and wound up powerfully under jockey Blake Shinn to reel in a game Holymanz.
“That was very satisfying and a nice start to his campaign,” Shinn said.
“It’s a great vote of confidence for everyone to see him return so well and his class shone through in the end and there’s a lot more to come.”
Elliptical was a A$380,000 purchase at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale with Freedman Racing, Suman Hedge Bloodstock and Blue Sky Bloodstock co-signing the ticket.
Holymanz was bred by Jamieson Park and we purchased him from the Lime Country draft at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He credited Almanzor with his tenth stakes performer in the southern hemisphere.