The $400,000 Group II ATC Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday offered up a mouthwatering selection of some of the most desirable three year-old colts in the country, but the victor was a gelding that has more owners than all the other runners put together.
Trained by Michael Freedman, Farnan gelding Ninja has been a work in progress through this season and showed glimmers of elite potential in a three start campaign in Queensland over the summer which ultimately ended with a controversial and very deflating second placing in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.
Ninja put that right behind him with his latest outing, jumping swiftly from the gates to take a forward position for Tommy Berry that had him well placed to challenge after turning for home.
He surged past the leader Shangri La Boy and powered to the line winning by a length and a half over Napoleonic with Group I winning colts Autumn Boy and Attica closing late for third and fourth.
"Good to see him come back and do that. It was obviously his biggest test I think,” said Michael Freedman.
“The Magic Millions Guineas was a disappointment, but I was more interested in how he was going to measure up against the really good 3yos down here. Job done.
"It's his fourth run (this prep). I am mindful of that. He's not a horse that needs a lot of punishing trackwork. He's a naturally aerobic type of horse.
“He does things pretty comfortably. He had two weeks off up there at Hinterland on the water walker after he ran in the Guineas. Came back here and gave him a trial last Thursday. He trialled really nicely. He's come a long way in the last 4 to 6 months."
Ninja is building a great record with four wins and three placings from seven starts and over $1million in prizemoney with Freedman comfortable to wait and see how he comes through the run before committing to the Group I ATC Randwick Guineas (1600m) next month.
“We’ll see how he pulls up. That would probably be the most logical way to go. I'd just like to see him tomorrow, see how he's come through today's run. Wouldn't bother me at all putting him out because he's an exciting horse for the future,” he added.
A $380,000 Magic Millions purchase from Segenhoe Stud for MyRacehorse Pty Ltd/Michael Freedman Racing/Gandharvi Pty Ltd/Belmont Bloodstock Agency, Ninja was bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds, who retain a share in his ownership.
He is the best of three winners from four foals to race from Impulsive, a metro winning half-sister by So You Think to Group I winner Laisserfaire, Group III winner A Time for Julia and stakes-winners Time Thief, Foreplay and Personify, the dam of Group I VRC Oaks winner Personal.
Impulsive is the last foal of Group winning blue hen Procrastinate and was given a trip to the Northern Hemisphere in 2023 to be covered by champion French sire Siyouni so has a yearling colt by him that’s has been entered for Inglis Easter in the Segenhoe draft as Lot 348.
Impulsive then produced a filly by Anamoe in 2025 before being covered by Harry Angel (IRE).
The success of Ninja has propelled his Kia Ora Stud based sire Farnan to the top of the second season sires list by earnings.
