‘He seems to be in good order’ Berzelius bidding to back up Sires’ Produce win in J.J. Atkins

Michael Freedman is optimistic two-year-old colt Berzelius (Extreme Choice) can prove his last-start win was no fluke while enhancing the strong records of his trainer and his sire – including in tandem – in Saturday’s J.J. Atkins (Gr 1, 1600m).

Berzelius, the eighth foal of dual Melbourne Listed winner Secret Liaison (Artie Schiller), was a $340,000 purchase at Magic Millions Gold Coast, and has come to hand perhaps more quickly than connections had expected.

Sporting the dual-blue silks of co-buyer Kia Ora Stud, he was sent north by Freedman to his Gold Coast satellite stable under the watch of the trainer’s foreman and brother, Lee, for his debut at Doomben in an 1110-metre juvenile handicap, on April 22. Little fancied at $11, he came from worse than midfield to score by 1.44 lengths.

That was enough to send him into the Gold Coast’s Ken Russell Memorial Classic (Gr 3, 1200m) as a $3.70 second favourite, but he ostensibly looked slightly disappointing in running fourth, beaten five lengths.

Freedman wasn’t greatly deterred, although punters were, allowing Berzelius to drift to $31 for his next start in Eagle Farm’s Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m).

But with the addition of visors the colt produced a powerhouse run, coming from ninth on the turn to wear down leader Vantorix (Captivant) and score by 0.32 lengths.

He became the fourth stakes winner by Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) that Freedman has trained, among the Newgate Farm super sires’ 19 black type victors overall, making him the most successful trainer of the stallion’s stock.

In partnership with brother Richard, Freedman trained the sub-fertile sensation’s first elite winner in Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) hero Stay Inside, as well as Tiger Of Malay, a forerunner to Berzelius in winning the Queensland Sires’ Produce of 2021.

Since going solo, Freedman has also enjoyed strong success with Apocalyptic, the MyRacehorse filly who won the last three legs of Randwick’s Princess Series last spring, capped by the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).

Randwick-based Freedman, who split from Richard in early 2022, has enjoyed resounding success this season, shooting into the top eight of trainers nationwide for metro wins, after finishing outside the top 20 in 2024-25. His 64 such victors come at a strike-rate of 17.6 per cent – the best of any stable in the top 10.

The 58-year-old also ranks 11th in the country for winners overall, with 99 at a hefty rate of 18.1 per cent, and has claimed two elite titles in 2025-26, with Apocalyptic’s success preceding The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) triumph of last season’s Golden Slipper winner Marhoona (Snitzel).

Freedman is now hopeful Berzelius can bring him his sixth solo Group 1, and his tenth overall, as he strives to provide Extreme Choice with his seventh – a stunning number considering the stallion has just 19 black type victors.

“He seems to be in good order,” Freedman said of Berzelius, an $8 equal-third favourite for the Atkins.

“I had a look at him early last week when I was up at the Gold Coast for the weanling and broodmare sales, and he’s come through the Sires’ run in great order.

“He’s a horse I’ve always had a bit of time for. He ran very well first-up to win, then got to that tighter track at the Gold Coast, and just struggled to get around it nearly as well and was a bit wayward. It was only in the last 150 metres he got himself organised and hit the line strongly.

“Back on a bigger track with a bit of headgear on in the Sires’, I thought he could run well – I certainly didn’t think he was a $31 chance – and he did, and he looked strong late.

“Obviously he’s now taking a big step up in both distance and class. Chris Waller’s got a couple of handy ones going into the race, and there’s some others that were good runs in the Sires’ as well, but I’m optimistic Berzelius can run well.”

Like most in the field, Berzelius is rising to 1600 metres for the first time, but Freedman is inclined to believe that shouldn’t pose a problem.

His dam Secret Liaison won at up to 1800 metres at Caulfield for the Ellerton-Zahra stable and ran third in Randwick’s Adrian Knox Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m). And Extreme Choice has shown a knack for leaving pretty much anything, from 1200-metre juvenile top-flight winners to Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) hero Knight’s Choice.

“You’re always a bit unsure going to the mile with a two-year-old, but the way he ran out the 1400 [metres], you’d think if he can get a nice economical run he should hopefully be able to run well again,” Freedman said of Berzelius, who’ll be ridden by Tommy Berry, his partner in his past two starts.

“You can never be too sure about what trip they’re going to get in time, but I think a mile’s within his grasp. Whether it’s this prep or next prep, we’re about to find out.”

Bred by Newgate managing director Henry Field and associates SF Bloodstock and Hollymount Stud, Berzelius was bought at the Gold Coast by Freedman and his late friend and bloodstock agent Mick Wallace along with Kia Ora Stud.

That came after a nudge from Field and Newgate’s stud manager Jim Carey.

“He wasn’t an obvious type,” Freedman said. “Whilst he was certainly on my list, he wasn’t one I was going to pin the ears back on.

“But full credit to Henry Field and Jim Carey. They encouraged me to buy him, and said they’d stay in him and put some of their clients in him. That sealed the deal.

“At $340,000 and being by Extreme Choice, I thought it was good buying. It certainly looks that way now, seeing what Extreme Choice’s yearlings have done this year.”

The stallion’s yearlings have boomed in 2026, coming from a book of high-class mares after his service fee hit the stratosphere, with 32 sold at an average of $796,000, up from $478,000 in 2025. The rising 13-year-old, with an SWTR ratio of 12.02 per cent, will stand at Newgate this spring for an Australian record equalling $385,000 (inc GST).

Freedman said Berzelius was “a very sensible colt” but was still physically and mentally immature.

“Even looking at him the other day, there’s still another six months until he’s fully matured, and he’s still quite green in his racing manners,” he said.

“So it will be interesting to see his progression from this prep into his next. I always like it when these young horses get a trip away – they usually come back a bit more seasoned – so it’ll be very interesting to see what he’s like in the spring.”

Berzelius’s immaturity was part of the reason for the addition of visors for the Sires’, without risking overdoing things by trying blinkers.

“We just felt that at the Gold Coast he got lost and was a bit wayward, so we thought a bit of headgear would give him a bit more confidence and focus,” Freedman said.

“We tossed up about visors or blinkers, but decided to go with the visors. He probably over-travelled a touch early in the race, but once he got into a nice rhythm and found a spot with some cover, he was quite tractable. Plus he enjoyed getting onto a bigger track at Eagle Farm.”

Waller and owners Hermitage have the two at the top of the market for the Atkins.

Tron Bolt (Toronado) is at $2.25 as he attempts to follow two-year-old handicap wins over 1400 metres at Kensington and 1300 metres on a Rosehill Saturday by becoming his sire’s seventh elite winner, and the first since Bois D’Argent’s Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) two years ago.

And Stormy Marco (Wootton Bassett) is at $5 as he seeks to improve on an eighth in the Sires’ Produce and return the late Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) to the top of the second season stallions’ table. He lost top spot to Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) on the weekend when that sire’s daughter Fireball Miss took the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m).

Success for Stormy Marco would also give Wootton Bassett his second Australian-bred top-level victor – and in the space of two weeks – following the win of the Waller-trained Providence in the Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m).

Freedman said following the Atkins, Berzelius would spell in the Queensland sunshine for some four weeks before returning to work for a spring campaign likely aimed at Rosehill’s Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m).