Profoundly seeking Australian Oaks gong

Promising filly Profoundly is backing up from her maiden Group win in search of an even more prestigious prize at the same track – not just for her but also for her trainer.

Former Kranji (2008-16) trainer Michael Freedman has put his name up in lights since leaving Singapore and Hong Kong and picking Sydney as his training base on his home soil.

Among his haul of seven Group 1 trophies, two Golden Slippers with Stay Inside (2021, in partnership with brother Richard) and Marhoona (2025) shine the brightest.

The world’s richest two-year-old race is not only one of the four coveted legs of Australian racing’s Grand Slam (others being the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate), but to also win it twice only cements Freedman’s knack for juveniles, with now successful stallion and former Singapore champion 2YO Super One already on his CV.

But while Freedman also conquered the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge with Super Easy in 2012, it is a niche that has eluded the Australian handler in his own backyard, and on his own terms.

The 57-year-old will be hoping to tick that box off with Profoundly in the A$1 million (S$891,000) Group 1 Australian Oaks (2,400m) at Randwick on April 11, one week after the Farnan filly won the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2,000m) at the same venue on the opening day of The Championships last Saturday.

Interestingly, Freedman shared that success with his even more famous elder brother Lee, himself a Singapore champion trainer in 2018.

The Australian Hall of Fame trainer, who was on hand at Randwick as one of the part-owners, was the one who hand-picked Profoundly at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for only A$65,000.

At the time, Lee was training in his own right on the Gold Coast since leaving Singapore in 2021, albeit with moderate success in comparison to his golden years from the late 80s to the early 2000s, that included more than 120 Group 1s, highlighted by two (2004 and 2005) of the recently deceased champion mare Makybe Diva’s record three Melbourne Cups.

Profoundly did race under Lee’s helm in Queensland for three starts and one win at Eagle Farm on March 1, 2025, but the 69-year-old quit training five months later, switching to the role of his younger brother Michael’s Gold Coast stable manager last July.

“I bought her for $65,000 when I was training,” said Lee Freedman to Racing And Sports. “Then when I turned it up, I was looking for a good trainer, and my brother rang me.

“I was really happy that the form from Kembla (third in the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic over 1,600m on March 13) worked out, because a lot of people were saying it was slowly run and it wouldn’t be good form.

“But I just knew that this filly had improvement to come, and we’d never run her over 1¼ mile. All she wanted to do was stay.”

The three younger brothers’ trust in the elder Freedman sibling’s judgment since their days as the cleverly nicknamed FBI (Freedman Brothers Incorporated) is clearly timeless.

“I remember him saying many months ago, long before we joined up, that he thinks he’s found a useful Farnan filly that might stay a bit,” said Michael. “He knows what it takes to win an Oaks, and so far he’s been spot-on.”

He would as the Freedmans won 11 Oaks around Australia – five in South Australia, three in Melbourne and one apiece in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

With Tommy Berry up in the Adrian Knox, Profoundly (4-1) ran on to beat 2-1 favourite Soverato (James McDonald) by 2¼ lengths with Satono Invader (Tyler Schiller) third another 1¼ lengths away.

Berry, whose link-up with Freedman goes back to their Singapore Gold Cup triumph with Tropaios in 2013, is again booked on Profoundly in the Oaks.

The quick back-up holds no fears for the top Sydney jockey, who, famously, also won back-to-back Singapore Airlines International Cups with Dan Excel in 2014 and 2015 in a poignant tribute to his twin brother Nathan (then riding mainly for Michael at Kranji), who tragically died in Singapore from a rare epilepsy-related illness.

“She is a very clean-winded filly. She pulled up lovely then,” said Berry, who has partnered Profoundly at her last three starts for two of her three wins.

“She spends no petrol in the run, and she does it without any effort.”

Profoundly carries the Freedman family colours of red with a purple sash, white sleeves and purple cap made famous by several of their former stars including 1992 Melbourne Cup hero Subzero, 1994 Golden Slipper winner Danzero, and 2003 Caulfield Cup and 2005 Singapore Airlines International Cup winner Mummify.

Despite drawing sticky in barrier No. 10, Profoundly has been backed into 7-2 second favouritism behind New Zealand Oaks winner Ohope Wins at 6-5.

“I’d rather have drawn in a bit closer but Tommy’s got 2,400 metres to sort it out,” said Michael Freedman to Racenet.

“I haven’t asked anything of her since Saturday other than going out and stretching her legs. All the indications are she’s going to back up fine, but you never know until you run them.”

Now trained by Chris Waller for Yulong, Ohope Wins – who was prepared by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott in New Zealand – ran a close fourth to Belle Cheval in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2,000m) at her Australian debut on March 28.

manyan@sph.com.sg