Star jockey Rachel King decision to take the shortest route home near the inside rail provided Miss Freelove proved a winning move in the Listed $200,000 Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) at Scone on Saturday.
In another tight finish, less than a length separated the top four finishers with Miss Freelove arriving in the final few bounds to claim an all-important stakes win from a game Mercy Me.
Miss Freelove ensured champion trainer Peter Snowden completed a stakes-race hat-trick over the three successive Saturday stand-alone meetings.
Snowden’s streak started with Zealously in the Listed Hawkesbury Rush before King Of Roseau won the Listed Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford last week before Miss Freelove’s Scone win.
King didn’t believe there wasn’t anything wrong with the inside section of the Scone straight and proved it by driving Miss Freelove through underneath Mercy Me for a narrow win.
“We had a good barrier, she got a nice run and putting the winkers on helped,” King said.
“She was able to travel well through the race and stayed in contention.
“They know she has a really good turn of foot so just being able to settle midfield, relax and be there ready to pounce from the 300m, I knew she was going to be hard to hold out.
“She really attacked the line, she’s tough and wanted to win.”
Miss Freelove ($14) finished fast to run down Mercy Me ($9.50) in the final few strides and win by a nose with Shady Road ($31) flashing home for a close third. The winner stopped the clock at 1m 03.14s which is a new race record.
King rode a record third Denise’s Joy Stakes win on Miss Freelove after her earlier successes on Zapateo (2022) and Fituese (2020).
Akaysha, a stablemate of the winner, drew near the outside, went back to last early, also made her run through the field near the inside and did well to finish a close fourth.
Agarwood was sent out the $4.40 favourite and led for home before fading to finish eighth.
Snowden was interstate for Beadman’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 bid but his stable assistant Arron Lau said Miss Freelove deserves to be added to the trainer’s Brisbane carnival team.
“Miss Freelove was excellent and we always knew she would run a strong 1100m,” Lau said.
“We added the winkers because she has been getting a little too far back in her races.
“But she was able to enjoy a good run through the race, Rachel’s gave her a great ride and the filly was really game under pressure.”
Miss Freelove broke through at stakes level to score her fourth win from 10 starts and took her career earnings over $400,000.
Lau hinted Akaysha may also rejoin Snowden’s Brisbane carnival team as the filly did win the Listed Mick Dittman Plate at Eagle Farm two starts.
