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Australian trainer Lee Freedman informed the Singapore Turf Club on Thursday that he was relinquishing his Malayan Racing Association trainer’s licence with effect from March 1, 2021.
A media statement published on his Twitter account reads as follows:
Hall of Fame trainer Lee Freedman is returning to Australia in early March after accepting an offer from the Gold Coast Turf Club (GCTC) to train at the racetrack.
Freedman, who has been in Singapore since mid-2017, expects to begin training from his new Gold Coast base late March or early April 2021.
Freedman, 64, said he is excited by the prospect of returning to Australia, and he is especially thrilled to be based at the Gold Coast, which is where he began his illustrious training career in 1983.
"Ian Brown, the GCTC racing manager, has outlined the huge infrastructure development plans for the club culminating in night racing as of 2022," Freedman said.
"I believe these developments, plus the healthy prize money in southeast Queensland will elevate the GCTC to an even more exciting racing destination.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time training in Singapore and I offer my thanks to the owners who have supported the stable over my three-and-a-half years here.
"Now is the time to renew my ambitions in Australia and I look forward to reconnecting with my Australian owner base, as well as continue to train horses in Australia for my Hong Kong, Singaporean and Thai clients that have supported me so much in recent years.
"In the meantime, I am aiming to gather a few horses from the upcoming yearling sales."
After dominating the Australian racing scene from the late 1980s until the early 2000s, the five-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer (including three with the great mare Makybe Diva) became by far the highest-profile trainer to move to Singapore when he set up shop at Kranji in September 2017, taking over from former nine-time Singapore champion trainer Laurie Laxon.
Freedman did not take long to make his mark as he was crowned Singapore champion trainer the following year.
All up he has won seven Singapore Group races during his stint as a Kranji-based trainer (he won the now-defunct Singapore Airlines International Cup with Mummify as a visiting trainer in 2005), including three at Group 1 level - the 2018 Singapore Guineas with Mr Clint, the 2019 Singapore Derby with Sun Marshal and the 2019 Dester Singapore Gold Cup with Mr Clint - to add to his previous tally of 124 Group 1 races.
Freedman's last winner Super Dynasty came in last Saturday's Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes to bring his Singapore score to 156 winners.
Currently on 43 winners, he lies in third place on the trainer's premiership, and while Michael Clements has already won the title, he can still claim the runner-up spot from reigning champion Mark Walker, who sits in second place on 45 winners, at the last race meeting of the 2020 season this Sunday.
