Queensland sire Freeze was represented by his first stakes winner when Arctic Command scored a brilliant victory the G3 Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington on Saturday.  Even though he was truck by a seagull in running, the Cranbourne based colt was a convincing winner over Aashiq (General Nediym) and Running Tall (Stratum)

Freeze is a son of Marscay and was given a chance at stud despite a mediocre race record.  He won at Randwick’s Kensington course from six starts but is a half-brother to successful sires Snippetson (Widden) and Snowland (Gooree).

Freeze was bred at Brian Marheine’s Stratheden Stud and raced in partnership with Vinery Stud.  He retired to stand at Stratheden but was transferred to Springfields Stud near Allora when Judy Marheine dispersed her family’s bloodstock interests several years ago.

Arctic Command (2g Freeze – General Resolve by General Nediym) is trained by Wendy Kelly and he carried the same silks as her G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Bon Hoffa.  “He’s a lovely horse to train,” Kelly said.  “He’s a relaxed, easygoing sort of colt and was always going to make a nice two-year-old with lovely short cannons and a short back.”

Arctic Command was bred by Kevin and Tanith O’Brien at Lauriston Farm and was a $55,000 buy for syndicator Ken King at the 2010 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  He is a younger half-brother to last year’s Maribyrnong Plate winner General Truce (Brief Truce) and Adelaide Magic Millions runner-up Complete Control (Rubiton).