With inspections in full swing at Riverside Stables for the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale starting this Sunday it only seemed fitting that a three year-old purchased from that sale in 2024 would take out the Inglis Xtra Bonus Maiden (1200m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
The Richard and Will Freedman trained gelding Journeyman has had quite the journey on his way to getting to the races with a slab fracture in a hind leg earlier in his career very nearly spelling the end for the son of The Autumn Sun.
A patient approach and some excellent vet care saw Journeyman back at the trials on January 2 and he followed up with two more trial outings to be ready for a first up tilt.
With Chad Scofield in the saddle, Journeyman was a touch slow away and settled at the rear of the field, but when he was asked to get going responded quickly.
Journeyman pushed his way clear and accelerated in good style to win going away by a couple of lengths to pick up the $100,000 Inglis Xtra bonus for his owners.
“He's always shown a lot of ability, although he's taken a long time to come to hand, said Will Freedman.
“He had a really big setback after his second ever trial where he had a slab fracture in his hock.
“So it's taken a long time for him to come back. A lot of hard work has gone into it, but the staff have done an incredible job to keep him nice and happy. It really is a team effort when you have horses that are off the scene for that long, making sure they're educated and ready to do what he did today.
“Chad has stuck with him all the way through. He’s ridden a lot of work on him and he's still pretty green. I actually didn't catch the start. I only heard, and we're at the tail of the field, and there were a few expletives at that point, but then... The way he was able to get out and really savage the line, I think he's in for a pretty good prep.”
Chad Schofield has ridden Journeyman in all three trials this preparation and now his debut win.
“They really brought him here well-educated and ready to go. They gave him three trials and in the time from his first trial to today, he's really settled down and matured mentally,” he said.
“So hats off to the stable for just calming him down because he can be a little bit keen early.
“He didn't jump well today, which obviously wasn't the plan, but I just left him alone, trusting he'd come good late. We saved ground around the turn and he was way too good.”
A modest $120,000 Inglis Classic purchase for his trainers from the Arrowfield Stud draft, Journeyman is the fourth winner from six to race out of Dream Tiara (Jpn), a winning half-sister by Heart’s Cry to stakes-winner Golden Hind and to the dam of Group winning sire Staphanos (Jpn), who stands in New Zealand.
Dream Tiara was on-sold last year through Inglis Digital for $12,000 and has been exported to New Zealand and her yearling colt by Dundeel has been entered for Magic Millions Gold Coast March as Lot 135.
