WHEN it came to setting up his own training operation, Mitch Freedman knew the south-west offered great natural resources to school champion racehorses.
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The Crossley-based trainer has between 25 to 30 horses in work, and says the beach and sand dunes are an excellent asset for his business.
Freedman has had a long involvement in horse racing.
Originally from Geelong, he has now set up his own training business.
“I’ve been involved in the industry for 12 or 13 years,” he said. “I came here to work for another stable and then branched out on my own.”
I saw an opportunity to start up down here. The beach is a drawcard.
- Mitch Freedman
Freedman was working for Melbourne Cup winning trainer Darren Weir and when Weir began training from Warrnambool, Freedman made the move to the south-west.
“When Darren opened up his stables here I came down from Ballarat,” he said.
“I saw an opportunity to start up down here. The beach is a drawcard.
“It’s not only a drawcard for the trainers, but the owners as well.”
Freedman and his team train at the beach every morning, at either Levy’s Point or Killarney.
“It’s an important part of my business,” he said.
He operates his training facility with wife Jenna, daughter of the late Mark Primmer, another Warrnambool trainer. Freedman is set to have runners at the May Racing Carnival.
The recuperative powers of the sandy beaches and chilly waters have caught the attention of trainers, with at least two of the state’s leading trainers keen to set up bases in Warrnambool.
