When it rains, it pours, and nothing truer could be said about the last four weeks for Minervini Racing, with Freedom Road (6m Good Journey – Voltara) scoring the team’s third win from their last three runners in the last race at Saturday’s Morphettville Parks meeting.
Having returned to the winner’s stall at the same course and distance two weeks prior, the in-form mare was again sent around at a good price, owing to the fact that she was rising in grade and had drawn a little awkward in nine.
In the end, none of that mattered. Leading rider Dom Tourneur took Freedom Road back from the wide gate and with a strong speed on up front, she settled well in the run. As they approached the turn, he was able to get onto the back of one of the leading chances in Federosa, and they both picked up ground out deep. Turning, and although Freedom Road had levelled up with Federosa, there was still plenty of work to be done. They spotted the leaders at least six lengths with 300m to go, and with those on-pace looking to be favoured for much of the day, it was going to take a huge burst for either to be in the finish.
Burst, and burst she did – Freedom Road started to launch, and she rocketed home out wide, taking the lead in the last 50m and again scoring a pretty soft win.
There is another quote that many within the racing industry will know well, and it suggests that a mare in form is a mare worth following, and that she is. Saturday’s win was Freedom Road’s second metropolitan win this preparation, and further enhances her value and potential as a broodmare when her racing days are complete.
Should she pull up well from Saturday’s run, then that value could be further enhanced with the possibility of a trip to Melbourne for the Group 3 $200,000 Maybe Mahal Stakes, over 1400m on Melbourne Cup day.
Congratulations to the ownership group, Frank Agostino, Margaret Arnott, Tom Boorman, Caroline Chapman, Lindsay Collings, Beth Gibb, Laurel Hargraves, Elizabeth Hewitt – Cook, Graham Hobbs, Belinda Holmes, Colin Kuchel, Davide & Bianca La Scala, John Mead, Michelle Minervini, Jay Morris, Jennifer Mullins, Liz & Pat Noone, Leo & Raelene Olbrich, Sue Pearce, Mark Potter, John & Margaret Ray, Paul Rosenich, Frank Salzano, Ivan & Julie Short, June Short, Raymond Spencer, Carolyn Stark, Summerset Park Stud Syndicate, Erica Taylor, Dirk van Dissel and Alan Young.
A replay of the win can be viewed at https://twitter.com/Racing/status/916560143852085248
Daniel Borg
Minervini Media