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Randwick trainer Les Bridge is to take over the training of classy gelding Leica Larrikin for his spring campaign.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Leica Larrikin will join the Bridge stable later this month after being being trained since the start of his 18-start career at Corowa in the southern districts of NSW by his part-owner Richard Freyer.
Bridge, renowned for his Melbourne Cup and Golden Slipper Stakes wins and more recent Group One successes with popular mare Hot Danish, is expected to set Leica Larrikin for the G1 Epsom Handicap at the Sydney spring carnival before targeting feature races in Melbourne.
Leica Larrikin was ninth in the Epsom last spring when Freyer raced him in Sydney for the first time. The rising six-year-old hasn't raced since a failure at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day in November.
Leica Larrikin's breeders Alan and Marg Eaton are the majority owners of Leica Larrikin, a full brother to their former luckless top grade stayer Leica Falcon who was also trained by Freyer.
The gelding has been spelling at the Eaton's Murwillumbah property in northern NSW and will be sent to Bridge later this month under an amicable arrangement with Freyer.
Marg Eaton told the Border Mail the decision to transfer Leica Larrikin to Bridge was based on a feeling that he is better suited racing right handed despite recording three of his five wins at Flemington.
“It's nothing against Richard Freyer at all. It was a very difficult decision to make and he understands it's in the horse's best interests,” she said.
“We just want Leica Larrikin to be trained on the track where he will be predominantly racing this campaign.
“The horse has ¬previously had some ¬issues with travelling and we feel he will benefit from being trained on a bigger track.”
Eaton also hopes Bridge will strike an arrangement with a leading Sydney jockey to ride Leica Larrikin in his work and races.
“Hopefully he will have the same track rider on race days so he can get to know the horse better. He is not an easy horse to ride,” Eaton said.
Leica Larrikin is currently in pre-training at Murwillumbah with local trainer Darren Graham.
Leica Larrikin is by Nothin' Leica Dane, the same sire as Leica Falcon and Hot Danish, Bridge's favourite mare who was tragically put down earlier this year after contracting a leg infection.
