Free Fall can win again

Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport

BACK-TO-form FREE FALL is not too heavy to land Boxing Day's opening Pick-6 race over 1100 metres at Caymanas Park.

Real class is represented in the seven-horse field by STEEL THE CAT, THE BEST MAN and SHE'S MAGIC but FREE FALL has beaten all three in the not-too-distant past and, though up a level since winning last Saturday, can prove equal to the task.

On November 12 in the 1000 metres event won by Gamboa, FREE FALL finished sixth by three and three-quarter lengths ahead of SHE'S MAGIC (seventh by five lengths) and STEEL THE CAT (eleventh by seven lengths). The seven-year-old horse was three lengths ahead of the THE BEST MAN when winning over 1200 metres on October 6. Again on October 27 FREE FALL was third by two lengths over the same distance with THE BEST MAN well back just over nine lengths fourth. The Robert Darby Sr-trained FREE FALL (Ansel Dancel up) is now back to his best form and should make it three in a row.

WAY TO GO has been working extremely well of late and should get off the mark with little fuss in the second event over 1400 metres, the Dollaz For Cash Bonanza Trophy for maiden three-year-old fillies. Trained by veteran Sydney Watson, WAY TO GO breezed 1400m in 1:31.2 at exercise two days ago and should be cherry ripe on Boxing Day, and is picked to get the better of LOVEJOY and DAYTON SPEED.

Anthony Nunes' WILD TRADITION (Dick Cardenas up) has fully recovered from a setback earlier this year and the Traditional-Born To Be Wild three-year-old filly will romp the third over 1000 metres round. Unbeaten in two starts, WILD TRADITION, who was highly fancied for the 1000 Guineas, showed that she is back to her old self with a fast 59.2 seconds clocking over 1000 metres straight on the exercise track on December 15. She is too light with 48.0 to be beaten.

Potential

The well-bred RAISING ASHLEY (Royal Minister-Melissa's Song) showed potential when making her debut over 1000 metres straight on December 11 and is the choice to win race four, division two of the Dollaz For Cash Trophy. She was runner-up to Outram River, second by five lengths, and with normal improvement should get the better of a very ordinary bunch.

ALLORA and the consistent HE'S A DREAMER appear set to decide the fifth race, the Winquick Scratch and Win Trophy over 1820 metres. HE'S A DREAMER is given the edge after his close-up finish (third by two and a quarter lengths to Cougway and Bullet Line) going 2000 metres in Overnight company on December 4.

The Patrick Chang-trained SWEET TRAIL has been working really well for the past two months and is expected to get off the mark first time of asking in the sixth race. A chestnut filly by Tracking out of Brown Sugar, SWEET TRAIL cost $1.2 million at last year's yearling sale and went 1:08.3 for 1100 metres on the exercise track on Tuesday, and seems ready to blow away her rivals.