Above Average, trained by Anthony Freeedman, scored an impressive win at his jumps debut at Sandown after failing to measure up as a Melbourne Cup contender.
Above Average, who failed to make the grade as a Melbourne Cup horse, has emerged as the best jumps prospect for the Freedman stable in more than a decade.
The former English stayer was described as a natural jumper by Anthony Freedman and made an impressive debut over the obstacles in Wednesday's Celebrate Easter Saturday at Caulfield Hurdle (3300m).
He scored by 2-1/2 lengths from Our Aristocrat and Desert Master, who won the 2009 Grand National Hurdle and was also placed in the feature the last two years.
Above Average was bought for around $A500,000 for the the Ball And Chain syndicate but it soon became evident he wasn't the Melbourne Cup horse it had hoped for.
His Australian debut was his only win at Caulfield in March 2010 and while he placed second in the 2010 Moonee Valley and Sandown Cups he was always a rung below what was required for a Melbourne Cup.
Fortunately Above Average was hailed a potential jumps star in England which Anthony Freedman never forgot.
"When we bought him in England the mail was that the jumping boys wanted him and that was always in the back of my mind," Freedman said.
"Clearly he was disappointing on the flat so when the money came back into jumps racing we thought 'Let's see what he can do'.
"He is a natural jumper who had it from day one."
Nearly all the Ball Of Chain syndicate members sold the out of the horse who now races in the same colours as Lucas Cranach, who finished third in last year's Melbourne Cup.
Freedman said he could not recall the stable's last jumper but suspected it was Nautilism who won the 2001 Grand National Hurdle.
"I don't know much about the (jumps) game but I have been told by people who do know that he (Above Average) is very good," Freedman said.
"To my eye he jumped well today and not having raced for six or seven weeks you would think he would find improvement in fitness and be better for the experience over jumps."
The merit of the win was underlined by Above Average's winning time of 3:45.14 which shaved 0.08 seconds off Black And Bent's course record.
Freedman said next week's Easter carnival at Oakbank was a possibility for Above Average but no definite plans had been decided.
"To be honest I haven't looked beyond today," Freedman said.
Meanwhile, Freedman showed his training versatility when two-year-old first starter Textiles landed the Event Landscaping Solutions Handicap (1000m).
The son of Hard Spun score by a long neck from Mick Price-trained filly Vicario, also by Hard Spun, and So Sure.
Vlad Duric, who recently returned to Australia after riding for Freedman's brother Michael, in Singapore for three years, rode Textiles whose upcoming options include the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on April 25.
Freedman brought up a winning treble when Cornell, also ridden by Duric, won the Ahern At Highway's Hcp (1400m).
