The Listed AR Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday looked a competitive race on paper, and with 100 metres left to run, eight horses were spread across the track.
To the shock of punters, Craig Newitt on the $101 chance Free To Move did the best in the closing stages.
Free To Move does best in a driving finish (Brett Holburt/Racing Photos)
The 3yo gelded son of Unencumbered defeated the $81 chance Brenlyn's Trooper (Redente) by a half-neck, with Capriccio (I Am Invincible) a nose back in third.
A length covered the first eight across the line.
It was a massive result for Kasey Keys, who trains Free To Move in partnership with her father Ken, and is the geldings sole owner.
"He's pretty special this boy," Kasey Keys said.
"I was pretty confident that we could run a place. Obviously, I was scared of the favourite (Curran), but when there was give in the track, I thought we were in with a chance."
Keys told Racing.com that she had purchased Free To Move with the intention of selling him to Hong Kong.
"I really like him at the VOBIS Gold sale," she said.
"I originally picked him out with the hope of sending him off to Hong Kong. When that didn't happen I was quite happy to stay with him. I am not much of a salesperson.
"Because he didn't cost a lot, I was quite happy to stay with him."
Craig Newitt looking pleased with himself (Brett Holburt/Racing Photos)
Craig Newitt praised the geldings courage.
"He's all ticker. There is not much of him, but he has a will to win," Newitt said.
"He jumped, he travelled, sat outside the leader on a pretty good tempo. The swarm was coming, but he kept sicking his little head out."
Keys signed the ticket for $8,000 to secure Free To Move from the Bucklee Farm draft at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale.
With his first stakes-win the son of Unencumbered advanced his record to three wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 11 starts with earnings of $267,220,
Free To Move an $8,000 VOBIS Gold yearling
Free To Move is the best of three winners from six to race out of the winning Dangerous mare Canhill, a half-sister to the Listed WATC Gimcrack stakes winner Western Zip (Zephyr Zip).
Free To Move is the penultimate foal of Canhill, who died in 2019.
Her final foal is the unraced 2yo Trust In a Gust filly Fica Comigo, a $4,000 Inglis Gold Yearling.
Free To Move is the fifth stakes-winner for Unencumbered. The Magic Millions 2yo Classic winning son of Testa Rossa died in 2018 after completing four seasons at stud.
