For Freddie’s sake
Kelly rues another wide gate
LAST-START Gold Coast winner Freddie Fox Trot will have to overcome another wide barrier if he is to score back-to-back victories at Aquis Park today.
The Les Kelly-trained Freddie Fox Trot drew barrier 11 in the original draw for the Open Handicap (1300m) but with two early scratchings, will just jump from the outside gate in the nine-horse field.
Kelly was hoping for a change of luck with the draw after Freddie Fox Trot drew double-digit barriers at his past three starts at the Gold Coast.
Despite the task, it didn’t stop him from scoring a courageous win a fortnight ago in a 1200m BenchMark 92 Handicap.
“He is fine. He has gone along well but it is just a shame we can’t draw a barrier,” Kelly said.
“He seems to draw the outside every time. He never seems to have much luck in the draw.”
Kelly has called on claiming apprentice Nick Keal to ride Freddie Fox Trot again after he steered the big bay gelding to a nose win last start after jumping from the outside gate in the 10-horse field.
“He did nothing wrong on him the other day. Don’t change a winning formula,” Kelly said.
Keal let Freddie Fox Trot slide up outside the leader in the early stages and then found himself in front shortly after heads were turned for home and then fought hard all the way down the straight to record a nose win over Love You Lucy, who made a late challenge.
The heavyweight apprentice outrode his 3kg metropolitan claim with that win and will only be able to claim 2kg today, reducing Freddie Fox Trot’s weight to 57.5kg.
Kelly said Keal would have to wait and see how the speed of the race panned out before deciding if he let Freddie Fox Trot go forward again or if he tried to slot in and find some cover.
“We will just have to have a look at the speed in the race,” the trainer said.
Kelly has nominated Freddie Fox Trot along with his stablemate The Kingdom for the Group 1 The Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 6 and would like to give the five-year-old his chance in that company if he warrants it.
The prizemoney for the Stradbroke has been reduced from $1.5 million to $350,000 after the 2020 Queensland winter carnival had to be revamped due to the coronavirus crisis.
“You don’t know with this virus, the Stradbroke might be a little bit weaker this year, you just don’t know,” Kelly said. “You always nominate these type of horses, you never know.”
Freddie Fox Trot is set to clash again with Toby and Trent Edmonds’ consistent performer Grey Missile after they finished second and third behind Bandipur at the Gold Coast on April 3.