Ad Valorem goes one-two

Ad Valorem’s G2-winning colt Free Wheeling returned to the winners stall with a commanding victory in the Listed Hawkesbury Guineas over 1400m.

After winning the G2 Champagne Classic at Doomben almost twelve months ago, Free Wheeling has taken time to recover from a barrier incident however the three-year-old colt now appears back to his best. Bred by Darley, Free Wheeling is out of the winning Last Tycoon mare Miss Carefree, a half-sister to the dam of G1 performer Hydrometer and comes from the family of G1 winners Toltrice, Seltrice, Keltrice and Red Dazzler.

Finishing second to Free Wheeling was fellow Darley homebred and son of Ad Valorem, the G2-winning Pied A Terre who recently also finished second in the G2 Blamey Stakes, while third in the race was the John O'Shea trained Strategic filly Bound To Blush. Darley head-trainer Peter Snowden is hopeful both the sons of Ad Valorem will continue onto the Brisbane carnival and chase further Black-type successes. The results of today should elevate Ad Valorem close to the top of the second-season sire table by earnings and take him to second position by number of winners with twenty-one.

Ad Valorem was the winner of the G1 Middle Park Stakes as a two-year-old and the G1 Queen Anne Stakes as a four-year-old and has proven very popular with breeders. The stallion enjoyed a stellar 2011 season with his first-crop of southern hemisphere runners including Free Wheeling, Pied A Terre, the G3-winning, G1-performer Uate and the G2-placed Detours.

Ad Valorem will stand the forthcoming breeding season at Darley Kelvinside at a fee of $16,500 (inc. GST). while Strategic will stand at Darley's Northwood Park at a fee of $8,800 (inc. GST).