3 WINS IN A ROW for Dynamic Stayer HOTEL AMOUR

05 Aug 19

A “THREE-PEAT” of wins for promising Dynamic Stayer HOTEL AMOUR (Americain x Paris Tryst) has connections excited after the handsome gelding won narrowly but with authority, thanks to a barnstorming finish when capturing the Illawarra Turf Club Stayers Benchmark 64 Handicap over 2400m at Kembla Grange on Saturday 3rd August.

HOTEL AMOUR makes it a HAT-TRICK of Wins on Saturday at Kembla

The RICHARD FREEDMAN & MICHAEL FREEDMAN trained HOTEL AMOUR (59.0kgs) was ridden to perfection by pilot Adrian Layt and they arrived in the shadows of the post to snatch a half-head victory over the Waller trained Breakcard (59.0kgs) with Captain’s Legend (54.0kgs) a long head further back in third.

This was HOTEL AMOUR’s fifth run for the preparation and he is just now starting to come to hand.

He resumed from a spell over a short 1400m on a Heavy 10 track at Nowra under 59.0kgs with a 4th / 10.

At his second start he was desperately unlucky when 3rd over a mile at Newcastle when beaten 0.7 lengths with 54.5kgs.

It was racetrack inexperience that cost him that win, so the time was right to apply a set of blinkers and that has proven a masterstroke. Since then, he has won 3 in a row with a Maiden win back at Newcastle over 1600m with 59.0kgs, then a Class 1 win over 2140m at Goulburn with 59.0kgs followed by this excellent win in Benchmark 64 grade over 2400m at Kembla with 59.0kgs.

It has taken a while for the horse to mature into his frame both physically and mentally which was to be expected, as we did purchase him as a yearling to hopefully be a Cups contender.

He is by AMERICAIN who won the Melbourne Cup and he is from PARIS TRYST who is a daughter of Bart Cummings Melbourne Cup winner LET’S ELOPE. So he has the genetics on both sides to be a “Two Miler” and he is a big, strong and correct individual who continues to improve race by race.

What is exciting is that he has lived up to his genetics to be stayer and the further he goes, the more impressive he is racing.

His career now reads:
12 Starts: 3 Wins, 2 Seconds, 2 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth & $63,380.

With two races in the pipeline for his next assignment being a 2900m Benchmark 70 at Newcastle on the 10th August or the next day there is a race over 3800m, we wanted to give HOTEL AMOUR a good hit out in this event.

In his past 2 wins the horse had gotten back to the tail of the field but in this race, the speed map was indicating there were 3 go forward horses and the rest were back markers. Knowing we had been given equal top weight and we were up to the 2400m plus we had drawn well in Barrier 3, we felt that the horse may travel a little closer in the run, based upon tempo and draw.

We asked Adrian to come out “neutral” and then land where comfortable and get him into a rhythm.

Then because of the weight and the distance increase, be patient and wait as long as possible in the straight and ride for luck against more seasoned competitors, rather than coming wide from the back and trying to circle the field which may be too big an ask giving away weight and a head start.

An 11 out of 10 ride by Adrian has allowed Owners to dream of bigger things to come.

As the barrier gates crashed back, HOTEL AMOUR jumped cleanly and Adrian rolled across to the fence just behind the leaders, as the front runners moved across from out wide when passing the winning post for the first time. As the field swung out of the straight, Adrian had HOTEL AMOUR asleep on the fence in 6th position 6 lengths off the leaders.

In a true staying race, the field got to their positions and kept them as they headed down the back straight and around the side until the 500m mark before the point of the home turn, where the race started to take shape.

Adrian waited patiently as requested and into the straight was spotting the leaders, who were 4 deep across the track, a 3 lengths head start.

He was racing tight with a runner to his outside, trying to keep him blocked in behind the leaders with nowhere to go but at the 250m, Adrian pushed out from behind the leaders and found galloping room.

HOTEL AMOUR with his now customary turn of foot, kicked into gear and began to give chase.

With 100m to run he was eyeballing the leaders and it looked like he would win comfortably but the Waller trained Breakcard gave a dogged fight and the pair settled down over the final 50m to a no holds barred scrap, where ability matched a will to win and HOTEL AMOUR dug deep to put his head down where it mattered to claim the win.

Adrian Layt returns a Winner aboard HOTEL AMOUR

Dynamic Adrian Layt

It was a classy ride and a courageous win by a horse that has been well placed to date and the penny is dropping with him.

He improves day by day and whilst he still needs to improve a bit, he is going the right way for his owners thanks to a committed training team.

At the back of our minds we have always known he can stick like “chewing gum to a blanket” so it’s been a matter of time, patience and education to build the foundations to launch at a goal we believe is achievable.

We have harboured thoughts for 12 months he is a potential JERICHO CUP horse – This is Australia’s longest race on the flat, over 4600m held at Warrnambool on the 1st December 2019 worth $300,000.

The JERICHO CUP was first run in 2018 and was established to honour the centenary of the Australian Light Horse in World War I, when the troops in Palestine, to confuse the enemy before a big attack on the Turkish forces, held a race meeting where they raced their “Walers” against each other. The main race was around the sand dunes surrounding the city of Jericho over “3 Miles” and that race was won by the famous Waler of all, the Australian war horse named “BILL THE BASTARD.”

Racing Victoria having been told about the race agreed to a concept by historian Bill Gibbins, to create a race for Australian and New Zealand conceived and foaled horses. It’s a high-weighted handicap Benchmark 90 and to enter into the race, there are 7 lead in events that guarantee the winner a start whilst the balance of the 12 horse field is determined with a point scoring qualification of 3-2-1 in each race on the flat in Australia and NZ at 3000m and further. Plus 3 races over the sticks being the Grand Annual Steeple, Great Eastern Steeple and the NZ Grand National Hurdle.

Those who miss out on the Jericho Cup field will have the opportunity to run on the same day in the repechage over 4,065m where the winner of the repechage is guaranteed a start in the Jericho Cup the following year.

In NSW the one automatic qualifying race is held at Wagga. It’s the Riverina Cup over 3800m to be run on Sunday 11 August where the winner is except from ballot and those placed runners get double points.

It is our intention that HOTEL AMOUR will take his place in the RIVERINA CUP next Sunday with a longer term view of the JERICHO CUP. Naturally we are unsure if HOTEL AMOUR will be able to stay the 3800m trip but this race will determine which way we head.

We know he is fit, well, on the way up and bred to run the trip.

If something doesn’t sit right with us for this event, the alternative is the day prior at Newcastle over 2900m.

Richard Freedman Trainer + Strapper "SUMIT" with his favourite horse & Co-Owner Gareth Pratley (Tasmania)

HOTEL AMOUR looks a picture and wouldn't blow out a candle after his tough win

Congratulations to our Dynamic owners that race HOTEL AMOUR:

Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mrs C O Bamford, Mr K L Bamford, Mr G J Henry, Mr W J Fleming, Mr A W Brazier, Mr L A Lindsell, Ms C Holmes, Nautical, Mr R J Matejcic, Mr G M Oleksinski, Mr S J Koukoulas, Ms A Collins, Mr S Najda, Mr R J Gall, Mr C N Deeb, Mr G J Pratley

HOTEL AMOUR – “We Love The Pub!”

Hotel Amour Kembla Grange Win from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.

ABOVE: Race Replay

What's this win mean to his strapper ?

See for yourself ! Richard Freedman posted this Twitter Video Clip of Hotel Amour's Strapper named "Sumit" arriving home from Kembla Grange with his Winner !

Watch as Sumit get's to claim the "Golden Horseshoe" to adorn Hotel Amour's stable as the most recent winner for the Freedman Team.

HOTEL AMOUR & SUMIT = A DYNAMIC Duo !

And then Executive Chairman won, his first in Australia. But then... Sumit brought out the Bollywood for Hotel Amour's gutsy win today over 2400m. He loves that horse. pic.twitter.com/MJVZNBO1nV
— Richard Freedman (@R1CHARDFREEDMAN) August 3, 2019
HOTEL AMOUR got Team Dynamic off the mark with our First Winner of the New 2019-20 Racing Season and he recorded our 598th Win overall.

Onwards and Upwards !