Freedman-trained trio on their toes

As is the case when there's racing on a Saturday, fast gallops on the training track on a Wednesday morning are normally non-existent.

So, true to form, the only "action" on the track yesterday morning was confined to "tapering off" work.

Only two horses entered for Saturday went against the clock.

But Chalaza, who galloped 600m in a leisurely 45sec on the right-handed Track 6, has been scratched from Race 10.

River Ruby, who clocked 36.2sec, is running in Saturday's Race 5. He has yet to show.

Catching the eye in limbering up work were runners from Lee Freedman's yard.

The celebrated trainer has entered a small-but-compact squad of 10 runners for the day's 14-race card and all were out for their "finishing touches".

Of the 10, Tobruk, Tom Cat and Sun Holiday looked the pick.

All three were put through a spot of cantering and appeared to be on their toes.

Tobruk comes into Race 9 with a record which tells us a win isn't too far away.

Last time out, on Aug 30, when racegoers sent him off as the $25 second pick, he came charging home under Ryan Munger to run second to Hwasong.

It was scant consolation for his connections, as it was the second time in a row that Tobruk had to play bridesmaid.

He had, on Aug 8, run second to the Aramco-owned King's Command. That, after being slowly away in that 1,400m race.

Freedman has found a nice 1,600m race for Tobruk.

But his charge is one of the reserves. If he gets a start, it will be interesting to see him cross swords with stablemate Sun Holiday.

Owned by the Sun Bloodstock Racing Stable, Sun Holiday finished a well-beaten third in the 1,400m race won by his stablemate Smoke And Mirrors.

That day, he wasted a heap of energy by being stubborn and playing up on the way to the starting gates.

If there was an excuse, you could say it was first-start jitters. Let's see how he behaves on Saturday.

He cost his owners close to $400,000 as a yearling. High time he starts paying for his keep.

As for Tom Cat, he's huge on potential. We saw that when he ran his rivals ragged on debut a year ago.

That day, in a Restricted Maiden sprint over the Poly 1,100m, he charged out of the gates like a bat from hell.

From then on, he never gave his rivals a look-in.

Keeping up a relentless gallop under Joseph Azzopardi, he won by 31/2 lengths.

Last time out, Tom Cat was narrowly beaten by Thomas De Lago over the flying 1,000m. It was his first race since February.

Tom Cat will see action in Race 10 where, with top apprentice jockey Simon Kok in the saddle, he will come up against Thomas De Lago again and I Am Sacred.

It looks tough, but Freedman has him muscled up and ready to fire.