Anthony & Sam Freedman‘s gun Godolphin-owned galloper Tom Kitten raced his way into the history books at Flemington on Saturday with a successful title defence in the 2026 All-Star Mile to become the event’s first dual champion.

The consistent Harry Angel gelding beat home Mr Brightside by the barest of margins in the race last year before coming back to claim the Group 1 $2 million The All-Star Mile (1600m) for a second time in another tight victory.

After a confidence boosting return to winning form fresh in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Caulfield on February 7, the five-year-old kept that momentum going at HQ to defeat Evaporate and Pride Of Jenni in this year’s All-Star Mile trifecta.

“He’s a remarkable horse. He’s been to the top for a long time,” co-trainer Sam Freedman told Racing Victoria.

“We’ve been blessed to get him into the stable in the last eight or nine months.

“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 pretty quickly, a few changes can happen pretty quickly, so now he’s in a nice routine at Pinecliff, gets out into a paddock during the day.

“For James and his team, that worked with the horse for such a long time, they should all be very proud as well as my team. He’s a remarkable horse and turns up every time.”

Ridden by big race specialist Crag Williams, who celebrated his first victory in the mile feature, Tom Kitten ($3.90) pulled out a huge effort to come from third at the top of the straight to move up and dart home in an exciting finish.

As expected, Ciaron Maher‘s front-running queen Pride Of Jenni, the 2023 All-Star mile winner, led the field around attempting to go all-the-way before she was challenged 400m out from the line as Evaporate and Tom Kitten moved up to make a line of three.

Williams finally hit the button inside the final furlong and Tom Kitten responded well, letting down and charging through in a driving finish.

“Push the button Willo, let him go,” Freedman said of his reaction when Williams cruised up on the eventual champ.

“He takes a bit to get through his gears, and he did that at Caulfield as well.

“I was even a bit more shocked. I know he’s a horse that doesn’t sprint off the mark and build away and that is why Willo had him in a more positive position than what we planned.

“We were dictated to by Jenni, what she was going to do and when we were in touch with her at the point of the turn, I was thinking we were right in it.”

For Williams, it was a redemptive effort following his second-place finish on Mr B in 2024 when Tom Kitten was ridden by Ben Melham.

“I’m really fortunate to say thank you to Sam and Anthony Freeman and all their team, Godolphin, for giving me the opportunity, just being part of this Autumn with him and so far we’re two from two, but I’ve just seen him grow up,” he said.

“They’ve obviously spent a lot of time with his barrier manners. We saw it in the spring when he got scratched and he’s really unruly. So, we’re very fortunate. Part of our people that look after us, our guardian angels, the great horsemen, the barrier attendants.

“So, all the team that we have here in Victoria are amazing. So, thank you for the work that they’ve done, and we see the finished product when it comes to racing.

“It’s hard against Jenni, isn’t it? And this horse beat me last year in this race on Brightside. Because we haven’t got Brightside now, if you can’t beat them, join them, I thought.

“He’s just a big, strong individual and he knows it. They’ve only asked me to gallop him one morning. I think it was the fastest gallop of the morning ever at Mornington.

“So, they just put me on race day in barrier trials. But it’s good, the horse is going so well. And when I jumped him out in between his last run and this one, I just said, ‘He’s just in that winning zone.’

“He just feels great. He’s content and we saw it today under race pressure.”

Freedman said there were plenty of options for Tom Kitten now but that the team were leaning towards a run in Sydney’s Group 1 $4 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 4 over another Flemington start over further in the Group 1 $2 million Australian Cup (2000m) on March 28.

“I feel he’s best fresh at a mile,” he 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. 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 and I’m just rapt for the whole crew.”

Tom Kitten has shot to the top of all-in 2026 Australian Cup betting firming in from $15 to $4 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

He’s at a more generous quote in the futures Doncaster Mile odds in from $26 to $15 to claim victory in the handicap classic.

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