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Ken Keys-trained gelding becomes fifth stakes winner for late sire Unencumbered
Cranbourne trainer Kasey Keys could not hide her delight after Free To Move (3 g ex Canhill by Dangerous) took out Saturday's A R Creswick Stakes (Listed, 1200m) on Saturday, becoming stakes winner number five for late Three Bridges Thoroughbreds-based stallion Unencumbered (Testa Rossa). .
Now in a training partnership with her father Ken, Keys was the one who picked out Free To Move with the intention of selling the youngster to Hong Kong.
But when no offers were forthcoming, Keys elected to race the now three-year-old herself with Saturday's victory his third from 11 starts.
The $8,000 Keys parted with at the VOBIS Gold Yearling Sale in 2019 from the draft of Bucklee Farm, for Free To Move as a yearling has returned her almost $275,000 in prize money and a further $43,000 in Super VOBIS bonus money.
Providing Craig Newitt the second leg of a longshot Flemington double, Free To Move ($101) scored a half-neck win from Brenlyn's Trooper (Redente) with Capriccio (I Am Invincible) a nose away third.
"I really liked him at the VOBIS Gold Sale and I originally picked him out with the intention of selling him to Hong Kong and when that didn't happen, I was quite happy to stay with him," Keys said.
"I'm not a very good saleswoman and as he didn't cost a lot, $8,000, I was quite happy to keep him."
Keys does not expect Free To Move to follow previous Creswick Stakes winners Nature Strip (Nicconi) (2018) and Gytrash (Lope De Vega) (2019) saying Listed grade was his level.
Free To Move becomes the first stakes winner for his dam Canhill (Dangerous) who has produced two other winners. His second dam is three-time winner Canned Music (Western Symphony), the dam of five winners headed by Listed winning filly Western Zip (Zephyr Zip).
Unencumbered died in March 2018 having covered just four books of mares, during which he produced 348 live foals.
