STEP UP IN TRIP DOES THE TRICK FOR FREEDOM AVENUE

By Graham Potter | Thursday, September 8, 2022

The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Freedom Avenue had not raced on the Sunshine Coast Poly Track before he arrived to contest a Class 1 handicap over 1600m at the track on September 8.

The stable would have taken some encouragement from the son of Eurozone’s second place finish at Dalby in his previous start when they had stepped up the distance test from 1200m to 1400m, and they pushed that envelope again here, asking Freedom Avenue to tackle 1600m.

Jockey Jake Molloy’s 2kg claim was always going to be useful to the cause of the four-year-old chestnut, who went off at a starting price of $6, and barrier one also played its part as Molloy got Freedom Avenue away well and he was able to hold the rail position as he settled in second and then third position as the field went down the back straight, just two lengths off the leader.

Molloy was happy to take the sit when the two runners in front of him kept the speed on as the field began sweep to the home turn with the $3.40 favourite Grinzinger Knight making play up front.

Soon after that, Grinzinger Knight had extended his lead over Freedom Avenue to four lengths … make that five on straightening. Freedom Avenue was now up to second place and still with a ton of work to do, but he started to dig deep under the enthusiastic urgings of Molly and the chase was now well and truly on.

At the 200m mark Freedom Avenue was still three lengths adrift … but closing ground well. By the 100m he was just a length behind the now tiring Grinzinger Knight. By contrast to the long-time frontrunner, Freedom Avenue was arriving with real momentum, and he stormed past Grinzinger Knight inside the final 75m to win going away by a comfortable 1.50 length margin.

This was Freedom Avenue’s ninth run for the Sears stable which has now produced two wins and two runner-up finishes.

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