Trainers Richard, Will Freedman saddle I Am Brave at Rosehill

Courier-Mail

5 days ago

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I Am Brave, the brilliant filly who made headlines at the Scone Cup carnival, puts her unbeaten record on the line in the Midway Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Trainers Richard and Will Freedman sent I Am Brave to the races for the first time at Scone two weeks and the three-year-old filly dominated her rivals to win a 1000m maiden.
She was heavily backed into $1.75 favouritism and scored with authority, recording a slick 57.07sec despite the Soft 7 track rating.
The Freedmans could have chosen an easier race than a Midway for I Am Brave's second start but it is an indication of how highly they race the filly that are prepared to chance their arm at Rosehill.
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'We thought she was very good at Scone,'' Richard Freedman said.
'More importantly she has come through that race really well so we are keen to run her on Saturday.
'But it has taken us a while to get her to the track, and there have been reasons for that, so we don't want to push her too far in her first race preparation.
'So, this will probably be her last run before we give her a break. She's a nice filly and we will be even better again in the new season.''
I Am Brave, a daughter of Yarraman Park's super sire I Am Invincible, is at $4.60 in early TAB Fixed Odds betting and is challenging Harry's Bar ($4.40) for favouritism.
The Freedman stable also prepared Walking Painting to win at the Scone carnival and the gelding will line up at Rosehill in the Captivant At Kia Ora Handicap (1800m).
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Unlike stablemate I Am Brave, former French galloper Walking Painting was unwanted in betting at $21 but broke through for his first Australian win with an all-the-way effort in a Scone Midway.
'Walking Painting's win rated quite highly for a Midway,'' Freedman said.
'I think the key to him is it has taken a while to work out his quirks but we feel now that he prefers soft tracks.
'We had some issues with his hind fetlocks and we had to re-shoe him different ways to work out what was best for him.''
Freedman is also optimistic Zoubaby ($26) can run an improved race back on a firmer Eagle Farm track for Saturday's Listed $160,000 Helen Coughlan Stakes (1200m).
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Meanwhile, Freedman's improving filly Let's Fly, who romped home by nearly six lengths at Randwick last week, will be given her chance in the Group 1 $700,000 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 7.
'We paid the late nomination for her during the week and the plan is for her to go to the Oaks,'' Freedman said.
'She's come through her Randwick win in really good order and we feel she deserves her opportunity.''
Originally published as 'She's a nice filly': Richard and Will Freedmans to saddle up I Am Brave at Rosehill Gardens