Freeforaday

Freeforaday ran a nice race in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday. Jim Best’s colt was held up at the rear of the 13-runner field by Steve Drowne in the early stages, had to move left to the centre part of the track – which was the slowest part of the track all week – to make progress two furlongs out, and picked up nicely from there. He was never going to reach the front two, Rainfall and Red Jazz, who both looked like high class performers on the day, breaking the track record, but he did run on really well to take fourth.

Freeforaday was the lowest-rated horse out of this 13-runner field and went off a 66/1 shot, but he ran much better than those odds suggest and he looks promising now. He probably would have been closer had he not run down the slowest part of the track, but he still managed to run on well, and he had the likes of Shakespearean, Meezaan and Free Judgement in behind him. The son of Freefourinternet was a progressive sort last year, winning three handicaps over sprint distances and, although he is not lightly raced, he looks to have continued that progression into this season. On top of that, he seemed to improve for stepping up to seven furlongs here, which makes sense given that he is bred to get a mile. He looks unexposed over this trip now, and he could improve again for stepping up to a mile. The handicapper raised him 11lb to a mark of 102, but that may be irrelevant anyway, he is a black type performer on this evidence, he could be under-rated next time and he could be better even than his new rating suggests.

13th June 2010