Despite doing his best to throw the race away over the final furlong, the Unencumbered colt Free Of Debt kept his record at a perfect two for two when defeating Lindsay Park's highly regarded Fastnet Rock colt Viking Warrior in Saturday's Super Vobis 2-Y-O Plate (1200m) at Flemington.
A first-up winner at Morphettville on December 22, Free Of Doubt controlled the race from the front. When Jake Toeroek asked him for the supreme effort, Free Of Debt began to veer out before darting back towards the rail. What should have been a decisive win turned into a hard-fought length margin over Viking Warrior with the Helmet filly Maozi a head back in third. (photo Grant Courtney)
It was a first Flemington winner for the Adelaide-based Toeroek.
"It's good to get a winner for Chris and the owners are very good mates of mine," Toeroek said
"He got a bit lost and wanted to go in and out and all over the place but he's done a good job to get over the line."
The least expensive purchase in the field, Free of Doubt is making a mockery of his $30,000 purchase price by his trainer Chris Bieg from the Phoenix Broodmare Farm draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
"That's a big, big buzz, I've won a race here once before but to win here with a two-year-old in just his second start, and to win the way he did, I'm really excited," Bieg said.
"We don't have big budgets when we go to yearling sales and we managed to pick him up for just $30,000 but I'm sure he will be worth a hell of a lot more now.
"He's not nominated for any of the big races but there is an opportunity for a late nomination for the Blue Diamond."
From the second of four crops left by the Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Unencumbered before his untimely death in March last year, Free Of Doubt is the third winner from four to race out of the Melbourne winning Giant's Causeway mare Stagerush.
Purchased by Greta West Stud for $22,000 at the 2009 Inglis Great Southern Bloodstock Sale, Stagerush descends from the family o0f the top stallion Scenic (IRE) as well as the top-class performers, Slightly Dangerous, Warning and Rainbow Quest.
She has a yearling filly by Keep The Faith and a filly foal by Master Of Design.
