A first-up winner at Ballarat on March 23 before a tough win on a heavy track at Caulfield a fortnight later, the Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained filly Forever Free took the step-up to stakes company in her stride in Saturday’s Listed AAMI Queen Adelaide Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville to keep her record at a perfect three for three.
Todd Pannell bounced the speedy daughter of Exceed And Excel to the front but was attacked all the way by Zoushine.
When Pannell asked the filly for the supreme effort, Forever Free responded impressively to defeat the All Too Hard filly Hard Rock Girl by one and a quarter lengths with the Zoustar filly Zoushine a length back in third.
A homebred for David Moodie’s Heskett Bloodstock, Forever Free is a full sister to the five-time stakes-winner and near $1 million earner Thermal Current out of the Listed SAJC Proud Miss Stakes winner Soaressa.
Exceed And Excel image Mark Smith
Bred by Wolf Blass, Soaressa is a daughter of the Forty Niner stallion Twining out of the grand producer Wedgetail Eagle (Lure) who also produced the Group 1 Queensland Derby and Group II HKJC BOCHK Jockey Club Cup winner Eagle Way (More Than Ready), and the Listed winners Assertive Eagle (Danewin) and Impressive Eagle (Rubiton).
Purchased by Hancock Quality Bloodstock for $170,000 at the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Broodmare Sale, Soaressa has five winners from six to race.
She has a yearling filly by Astern but was not covered in 2018.
Forever Free becomes the 168th stakes-winner for Darley’s flagship stallion Exceed and Excel will stand the 2020 southern hemisphere breeding season at Kelvinside, NSW at a fee of $132,000.
Exceed And Excel will be joined this year by his champion son Microphone whose fee has been set at $38,500.
