Lingfield: 'Incredible little horse' Mr Freedom transfers hot form to all-weather

Recent abandonments meant Sheena West had to restart an all-weather campaign for three-time hurdles winner Mr Freedom, but he continued his fine form with an easy success in the 1m4f handicap.

The four-year-old scored at Fontwell twice and Plumpton before running in some of the better juvenile hurdles this season. He came close to winning one, but ran out when in contention approaching the second-last in Wetherby's Listed Wensleydale in October.

West had considered handicap hurdles at Newbury which were subsequently called off due to frozen ground, but felt she needed to run the son of Sixties Icon – even if it was far from an ideal place.

"I hate the all-weather, I'd rather we could run on turf and over further, " said the Sussex trainer. "I couldn't find a race but the horse was bouncing and ready to go so we popped him in there. 

"In theory he should've won but it doesn't always work out like that. I was thinking if he had won a Listed race then he ought to hack up in a 0-55 on the all-weather. You can never rely on these things though.

"There's just so much more to come from him, he's an incredible little horse. I do love horses that can do both, it makes everyone happy."

While the Fred Winter is among future options over hurdles, West will try and run Mr Freedom under a penalty in a 0-65 rated handicap at Kempton on February 4.

Read these next:

Trials day at Cheltenham survives inspection but second check planned on raceday   

Altior 'much perkier' as Nicky Henderson visits star fighting colic   

Members' Club special offer: 50% off three months 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.