Unbeaten in his first two runs at Morphettville and Flemington, Free Of Debt then finished third in the G1 Blue Diamond S. before he was spelled after a below par performance in the G1 Golden Slipper S.
Bieg had the now 3-year-old gearing up toward a spring campaign when he sustained a ligament injury in a hind leg, which side-lined him for the remainder of 2019.
Free Of Debt tailed the field home in the G1 Oakleigh Plate when resuming and like-wise in the Listed Matrice S., but showed far more encouraging signs when a last-start fifth in the G2 Euclase S. on his home track at Morphettville.
“He was much, much better and came through the run really well. I haven’t done that much with him since and he’s taken a lot of benefit from it,” Bieg said. “I knew he was well within himself, but I was concerned about his fitness level.
“I knew he was well within himself, but I was concerned about his fitness level.” – Chris Bieg
“He was only beaten 2l by a pretty smart horse (Xilong) in a race with plenty of current form so I was pretty happy with him.”
Bieg is keen to give Free Of Debt another crack at a Group 1 contest with a short-term possibility of tackling this month’s Goodwood H. or biding his time and focussing on top targets later in the year.
“We’re looking at The Goodwood and he would come right down in weight. I have also got it in the back of my mind to give him one more run here or more than likely in Melbourne in an open handicap for 3-year-olds and wait for the spring,” he said.
“He’d get a bit of weight, but is a straight-forward horse to ride and we could claim 2kg and he should be able to take care of a field like that convincingly.
“We could tip him out for winter then, whether that is somewhere locally or send him up to Aquis in Queensland and give him a really good break and then have a crack at a Group 1 in the spring.”
Following his first two victories, Aquis bought into Free Of Debt who was bought by Bieg for $30,000 out of the Phoenix Broodmare Farm’s draft at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
He comes from an international family that includes the Group winners and successful sires Dushyantor (USA), Scenic (Ire), Commander In Chief (GB) and his half-brother Warning (GB).
Free Of Debt as a yearling
Juvenile assault
Meanwhile, Bieg will launch a two-pronged challenge on Saturday’s G2 TAB SA Sires’ Produce S. at Morphettville with Vondexter (Amidexter) and first-timer Biarchi (Free Eagle {Ire}). The former was a last-start fifth behind subsequent G3 Breeders’ S. winner Ecumenical (Zebedee {GB}).
“I’m happy with Vondexter, a filly I bred myself and own the majority of her so it would be nice to see her compete at this level,” he said.
Chris Bieg
“It seems to be the flavour of the stable at the moment that every rider gets off them and says they will make nice 3-year-olds over a bit more ground.
“It’s pointless running a horse like Biarchi over a less distance because in all her jump-outs she’s been getting back and finishing off strongly.
“She’s probably going into it a bit soft, but if she can get a nice trail into it and run over the top of as few of them late. She’ll be beaten for speed early, but she’ll be hitting the line and Vondexter will be very much the same and in her favour is her race experience.”
