Opposition Could Only See HORIZONS Far Away In The Distance After Dominant WIN

No Need To Look To Far To See HORIZONS Succeed 

Congratulations to the Team at the Richard and William Freedman’s Rosehill Stables on the tremendous job they are doing with the Dynamic mare HORIZONS who carried our silks to a demolition job victory at Kembla Grange on Thursday afternoon when claiming race 2 on the programme, the Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemen’s Cup Class 1 1500m. 



Ridden to perfection by tremendous horseman Dylan Gibbons, the stars aligned here after zero luck when a certainty beaten last start when she was first-up for the preparation at Newcastle. That day she was ridden by Tim Clark and was squeezed into the outside fence by the winner, which stopped our momentum and cost us both the win and second spot when finishing third. 

After that, Richard and Will sent the mare to their private spelling and training facility to give her a few easy days to get over that experience and she rebounded beautifully. 

An acceptor for two races on this Kembla Grange programme, the Class 1 1500m and race 8 the Bm64 1500m, after acceptances the decision was made to run in the Class 1 where she looked beautifully placed in a field of 8 runners. 

Then there were 3 scratchings, and it was left to a field of just 5 runners to progress to the machines.
 
Inexplicably, there was an unrealistic spruik on a 3yo Colt ATTICA who had fallen-in to break his maiden on a rain affected track, against his own age group, on his home hill. The media hype was lacking any true basis, and then when its trainer started to wax lyrical about it being a stallion prospect, the money kept tumbling in late and that runner firmed from $1.95 into a $1.50 favourite allowing our owners of HORIZONS a lovely collect of $4.20 in the small field. 



On trackwork and on her raceform, then in particular how unlucky she was first-up, there was little doubt that she would be in this race and with just average luck she should win despite the favourite being in the field. Whilst the other three on ratings had little to zero hope and that’s how it panned out. 

Tactically it was simple enough. In a small field, make your own luck and keep out of trouble by rolling along on pace, as traditionally these types of races turn into sit and sprint affairs.  The map had the no hoper, 50/1 shot Dolzino wanting to lead, and we anticipated that we could roll along and sit at its girth and then peel wide into the straight where the better surface appeared to be.

When Dylan Gibbons came out of the sheds, he said his plan was to lead and then get out wider than the middle of the home straight because the closer to the fence the track appears dry but was loose and patchy. Out wide it was firmer and better knitted together. That was fine and Dylan went to the barriers with his game plan well understood.

As the gates crashed back Dolzino only rolled slightly forward and in the first 100m, there were 5 abreast with riders looking at each other. Then Dylan took up the initiative and rolled to the front with determination and put up a 3-length gap over Dolzino with Attica at its girth facing the breeze in third.

The tempo was slow, and Dylan pinched some really moderate splits so approaching the turn hadn’t spent any petrol.

Had he been able to see his rear-view mirror, Dylan would have seen that the $1.50 favourite at the 600m was off the bit and being scrubbed up to keep in touch. 

As they came to the 450m on the point of the turn, Dylan gave HORIZONS a squeeze and the mare immediately responded, skipping 3-lengths in front and Dylan gave up ground as he made a bee line towards the outside paint. 



Attica tried hard whilst the other three peers were not even in camera range. 

Approaching the 300m HORIZONS was asked to extend and she broke the heart of the 3yo.



Such was the dominance of the display, Dylan allowed HORIZONS the ultimate compliment, to idle down over the final 100m and still post a widening 2 length victory over Attica whilst there was a further 3.5 lengths back to third placed Squeezebox. 



To put it in perspective, HORIZONS would have worked harder at trackwork and was awesome in the process.



JOB DONE!

1st of 5 K GR 18Sep25 1500m Good4 CL1 $42,000 ($20,550) Dylan Gibbons 57kg Barrier 5 Rtg 60
2nd Attica 59kg, 3rd Squeezebox 58.5kg 1:29.03 (600m 34.47), 2Len, 1st@800m, 1st@400m, $4/$3.60/$4.40/$4.20

SHOALHAVEN EX-SERVICEMEN'S CLUB CLASS 1 Hcp 1500m. Of $42,000. 1st $20,550.
Good 4: Time: 1:29.03 Last 600m: 0:34.47 

4 HORIZONS (Richard & Will Freedman) Dylan Gibbons Bar5 57.0 Bm 60 SP $4.20
4yo Mare The Autumn Sun / Sabanci

1 ATTICA (Joseph Pride) Adam Hyeronimus Bar 2 Lengths Bar3 59.0 Bm 65 SP $1.55F
3yo Colt Lonhro / Savatiano

2 SQUEEZEBOX (Kim Waugh) Ms Alysha Collett 5.5 Lengths Bar1 58.5 Bm 59 SP $10
4yo Gelding Epaulette / Zydeco

MEDIA:

Sky Racecaller: “Horizons goes in, and 1500 metres is the journey for the running of the second. Starter is on the ladder were set to jump. Ready, and they’re racing! Starter would be happy with that when he caught them at a great line out. Dalzino the outsider began fast. Atticus driving forward and Horizons is the widest runner in the early stages. Then came Squeezebox and Wounder will settle down last, about 3 off the lead. 

“As they sort out the order with 1200 metres left to go and Horizon spears across from the outside, it will take up the lead. It’s out by length and a half, Dolzino, and Attica now striding into third spot in front of Squeezebox and Wounder is last at the thousand.

“So Horizons out on its own, now led by 2 and a half lengths, Dolzino in second and third is Attica travelling kindly. A length and a half away, Squeezebox and three-quarters away Wounder at the end passing the 800m. They are about at the halfway mark and its Horizons in front by two, Dolzino, Attica is third - Just asked to go forward by the rider. Then came Squeezebox and Wounder is still last and there's no change. 

“Down to the turn with 500 metres left ago, Horizons out on its lonesome, led the way by 2; 3 lengths now, Attica in second spot taking the shortcut as Horizons comes right to the middle of the track. Then came Dolzino whose out of it now. Squeezebox runs to a clear third, and then came further back to Wounder.

“200 metres left ago. The leader is Horizons. Attic is not there yet, and Squeezebox is chasing hard but Horizons in front with 150 metres left ago. Led by two lengths, Attica then came Squeezebox. Horizons in front and Horizons leads all the way. Horizons won, beating Attica, Squeezebox third, Wounder was 4th and Dolzino a very, very long last.”

Sky Channel’s Kristen Duke took over: “4-1 and 3 the numbers there. Horizons jumped well, led, showed that early speed and just managed to time that perfectly Dylan Gibbons, because he just stole the race. We were just saying how sometimes in a smaller field you can steal it that way.”

Jason Whitham Sky Channel host commented: “Yeah that's always the concern isn't it with small fields, that the leader can get a soft time in front, some cheap sectionals and that was the case there with Horizons and Dylan Gibbons just able to slow them up there a little bit. And when it was a sprint home, Attica who was off a bit quite a long way from home, picked up, but it was going to be tough task to chase home Horizons who had been travelling sweetly for Richard and Will Freeman. It's a good win here today in a good but smallish field, here is Will with Kristen:

Kristen said: “Well Will, that was a really impressive effort there from Horizons. Obviously showed a little bit of promise first-up. Were you expecting that?” 

Will Freedman answered: “Absolutely. We've had a fairly high opinion of her. We sent her down to Adelaide to try and pick up some black type. Didn't exactly go our way. We had a bit of a muddled prep. She had a few setbacks. But Dylan came out and all credit to Dylan, he said I'm going to go to the middle of the track! Now, I'm not adverse to horses going to the middle of the track. So, I think that probably was the winning move because he said the ground was a little bit more consistent out there and it seemed to pay dividends anyway.”

Kristen added in: “And how about that ride? It was very well timed from the front.”

Will Freedman responded: “Yeah, it was. We had a plan that if nothing really wanted to take up the lead, she'd be more than comfortable doing that. So, he sort of had a good look for the first hundred metres and then was able to amble across. She's a horse that can get her head up and have a bit of an awkward head carriage, but I think she's going to be a promising horse. I was speaking to a couple of the owners on the way here and said I'd be confident that she'll end up being a sort of, off Carnival Saturday horse. Maybe she keeps progressing.”

Kristen then asked: “Well with that in mind, where do you see her going next?”

Will said: “Well, I'm hoping to win one more, and then maybe running in the Four Pillars. It's the richest Benchmark 68 you'll find in the world. 

Jason Whitham added back into the commentary: “It was a plan that's been pulled off hasn't it, to be able to get this horse to the front in a race that looked devoid of speed. Dylan’s going to come over and have a chat to us after a nice ride from the front. Dylan congratulations, she’s a nice type this one.”

Dylan Gibbons said: “Yeah she is, funny thing is, you see she’s got that nose-roll, she likes to get ahead up a bit. So just had to work with his best I could but the thing is she’s won and won well. Went right through the line and turned back to the to scale here like she hasn't been around. So pretty promising signs.

Jason Whitham: “Will was saying he had a bit of a plan there to maybe get to the lead, and you know, and they are always tactical races those small fields.

Dylan Gibbons responded: “Exactly it worked out well. I thought I was going to be in a tricky spot having to sit outside leader and when the original leader come back, it just allow me to ride my own race there and I was able to skip; get to where I thought was the best part of the track; and she was just too good. Middle to wide, when I went and walked it, it’s a bit patchy on the inside with some good parts and some not so good parts, where the outside just seemed consistently firm. Thank You.”

Post-Race Will Freedman record Dylan Gibbons thoughts fort the owners:
 


“Look she was fantastic today. She bounced well from there I just let her run her own race. And when they gifted me the lead I was pretty happy and from there, I would have like her to control it a tad better but after about 100 metres she gave me exactly what I wanted, and I just loved that she was able to skip get to the outside fence and then through the line she’s just motoring. So she pulled up very well. Further, she goes better she will be I dare say. So promising signs there and that will give her a lot of confidence.”



CONGRATULATIONS to the OWNERS of HORIZONS: Mr T J Butler, Malivale, Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd, Carty Racing, Mr D A Warner, Mr J La Hood, Mr M L Melville, Mr B D Nettlefold, Mr J Bromham, Mr N Ghabar, Mrs R Ghabar, Mr P O'Sullivan, Mr M C Tartak, Mrs R Tartak, Mr T Italiano, Mr G Papadakos, Mr P G Falvey, Mr M G Falvey, Mr G R Glynn, Mr C R Ross

The win continues the terrific start to the year for Dynamic Syndications horses.

HORIZONS 4yo Bay Mare by THE AUTUMN SUN from SABANCI

Career Summary: 11 Starts: 2:1:2:1 and Prizemoney: $74,025

This win by HORIZONS recorded our 964th Overall Race Win and Team Dynamic’s 13th Race Win for the New Racing Season.