Freedom Rally tackles 2000-metre test

But can he run out a strong 2000 metres?

That is a question trainer Gavin Bedggood hopes to answer when the gelding contests the VRC Member Richard John Rowlands Plate (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Freedom Rally, who began his career in Brisbane with Tony Gollan, will be having the sixth start of his first campaign with Bedggood which commenced on May 23 when he runs on Saturday.

The six-year-old was tried beyond 1600m just once when in Gollan's care, finishing a close second to Pericles in the 2024 Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill.

Following that outing, Gollan thought enough of the gelding to bring him to Melbourne for the early autumn weight-for-age races in which he finished eighth in the C F Orr Stakes and then fifth in the Futurity Stakes, both at Caulfield.

The gelding later returned home to Brisbane for the Queensland Winter Carnival, without success, before returning to Melbourne last spring, for one start, after which he was left in Bedggood's care.

Freedom Rally had his first start at 2000 metres for Bedggood when fourth at Caulfield on June 27 before backing up the following week finishing second in the Listed VRC-CRV Winter Championship Final over 1600 metres at Flemington, his most recent outing.

"I thought his first run at 2000 at Caulfield, three weeks ago, he was alright," Bedggood said.

"The trip is still a question mark, but he's a horse that needs racing, and if it doesn't work out on Saturday, then he can come back to the mile at Caulfield a week later.

"He had three runs in three weeks, and I don't think I've ever done that before, but he's a horse that the more racing we gave him, the better he got, so that's why we kept him going."