History-maker Tom Kitten has become the maiden horse to repeat in the All-Star Mile, clinching a dramatic victory at Flemington.
The Godolphin star took out last season’s inaugural Group 1 running for James Cummings, with Saturday’s conquest ensuing from an early-season yard move to Anthony and Sam Freedman.
Shadowing the $2.35 elect Pride Of Jenni relentlessly, Tom Kitten ($3.90) unleashed reserves via Craig Williams to nab Evaporate ($12) by a short-neck, favourite Pride Of Jenni heads apart in third.
Undefeated in autumn after two starts, the gelding launched his campaign winning the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 7.
Foregoing the Group 1 Futurity Stakes same course and distance a fortnight later, Anthony and Sam Freedman kept him fresh for Saturday through a trial at Caulfield Heath last month.
Sam Freedman praised the gelding’s prowess post a botched spring disrupted by a late Memsie Stakes gate withdrawal.
“He’s been to the top for a long time, and we’ve been blessed to get him into the stable in the last eight or nine months,” Freedman said.
“We were disappointed with the spring we had with him. We felt he was going well, but we were chasing our tail, but this prep, I don’t know what it is.
“I rang Dad this morning and said he’s a different horse. He looks amazing, he’s holding more condition, he’s racing heavier than he was in the spring.
“Sometimes you are a victim when horses change yards. They go onto a different feed, a few changes can happen pretty quickly.
“He’s now in a nice routine at Pinecliff, gets out into a paddock during the day.
“He’s a remarkable horse and turns up every time.
The Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) March 28 looms as a probable next port of call for Tom Kitten, though Freedman leaned towards the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) Randwick on April 4.
“I feel he’s best fresh at a mile,” Freedman said.
“We might see him in the Doncaster more likely than the Australian Cup.
“He might grind away late like he wants the 2000 metres, but he likes a strong tempo where he can sit back and stalk them.
“We’ll have a chat as he’s also entered in Dubai and Hong Kong, so there’s plenty of options for him.
“The beauty of him is he’s an easy horse to work with.”
Williams celebrated his first All-Star Mile success, dating to 2019.
The elite hoop placed second previously on Mr Brightside against Tom Kitten last term and Pride Of Jenni 2024.
Injury kept him out when Mr Brightside struck in 2023.
“This horse beat me last year in this race on Brightside and because we haven’t got Brightside now, if you can’t beat them, join them, I thought,” Williams said.
“He’s just a big, strong individual and he knows it. He’s content and we saw it today under race pressure.”
Head to trusted racing odds providers for betting markets for the race ahead.
