Encoder looking to ride The Wave of success

By Andrew Smith

A last-start win in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes before Christmas has Encoder primed to make a splash in The Wave this Saturday.

The son of Encryption-Eight Below scored his third career win by a length over Kirikan and Imezaaki in the 2100m outing at Eagle Farm on December 16.

Trainer Lee Freedman said the three-year-old had pulled up perfectly from the win, having earmarked Encoder for a step up in distance for some time.

“He’s just kept going ahead, we didn’t have to do a lot of fast work with him because he’s coming back in distance but he’s done really well,” Freedman said.

“As a two-year-old, he was showing signs he wanted ground so we just need to see whether he made that improvement as a three-year-old which his half-brother Soothsayer did too.

“He went to a good level as a three-year-old so yeah, we did think he could do it.”

It was Freedman’s first Stakes victory since his return to training in Australia.

A connection to Soothsayer is what saw Encoder land in Freedman’s stable in the first place.

Originally going under the hammer for $10,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Weanling Sale, Freedman took home Encoder for $40,000 in the March Yearling Sale in 2022.

“Dream Bloodstock bought him and they told me that they bought him because he’s a half-brother to Soothsayer,” Freedman said.

“As it turns out he’s a very nice horse - he’s not the prettiest horse but he’s a very well built, put-together horse.

Encoder will drop back in distance for the 1800m The Wave at Aquis Park on Saturday, jumping from barrier two with Damien Thornton in the saddle – a position that doesn’t worry the champion horseman.

“It doesn’t really matter - he gets back anyway, he always races at the back of the field and makes one run,” Freedman said.

“So the times we’ve ridden him closer he doesn’t produce the same finish.”

Freedman is more concerned about the possibility of a wet Gold Coast Turf Club track on the weekend, with showers forecast for Saturday.

“I hope it’s good but you never know about the weather,” Freedman said.

“I had a walk on the course proper yesterday morning, it’s kind of like a (Soft) 7 now and will probably go back to a 5 and then it just depends on what sort of weather we get.

“Everything’s good as long as the weather stays good, we’re pretty settled up here.”

Encoder was equal-third favourite in betting ($5.50) as of Friday morning, with the money sitting with Zoe’s Promise ($3) for the $250,000 outing.

A wildcard entry into the $1 million Magic Millions Subzero on Saturday week is also up for grabs.

Saturday’s nine-race card continues the epic warm-up to the $14 million Magic Millions Race Day on Saturday, January 13.

Freedman said the new surface at Aquis Park, increases in prize money and the addition of feature night racing as part of the 2025 Magic Millions Carnival would see racing on the Glitter Strip go to new heights.

“It’s a very good option for the coast, being a holiday destination basically year round summer and winter it’s a good spot to have night racing,” he said.

“It just adds another form of entertainment that people can go to and the track being so close to the city is a big benefit too.

“It should go great.”