CLOSER TO FREE ROCKETS INTO DIAMOND CONTENTION
From an opening quote of $201, Closer To Free is now the $5 second favourite for the Blue Diamond after a strong debut win in the Colts and Geldings’ Prelude at Caulfield on Saturday.
The son of Street Boss has been the subject of much hype, a $201 to $23 Diamond betting move and a high-profile sale in recent weeks but justified the excitement with an excellent first raceday performance, leading all the way under Michael Dee.
Eternal Warrior ($6) and Closer To Free ($15) fought the race out, as they did in the 800-metre trial that sparked the whole story, but Danny O’Brien’s colt lifted late to score smartly.
The Trial
It was hard to miss Closer To Free’s Caulfield trial last month, in which the galloper, then trained by renowned breaker Adrian Corboy edged out Eternal Warrior under little pressure and wound his Blue Diamond price in by 88% that very day – $201, into $100, $50, and then $34.
On replay, the official time of 44:77 doesn’t quite stack up to a hand-time, but the work was still ultra-impressive, and O’Brien saw enough to make an offer to Corboy in the wash bays after the trial.
“I saw him in the Mounting Yard before the trial because I had one in it – obviously Adrian’s one of the best, if not the best horse breaker in the country,” he said.
“After he won the trial, I walked back with him and saw how easily he’d taken the trial, and as Adrian was hosing the horse down, I bought him!”
Just over a week later, Closer To Free was registered in Sean Buckley’s green and black colours, made famous by another rapid emerger in Seamus Award, and the triple figure Diamond odds were a distant memory.
The Payoff
A beautiful nature, fantastic pedigree and improvement to come – there was plenty to like about Closer To Free’s debut, even outside of the debut Group 3 win on the resume.
His professional racing manners, in a race that saw several runners with more experience race greenly, and fight at the end of 1100m are also both big ticks heading towards the Diamond.
“In the mounting yard, I was thinking, ‘maybe he looks a bit burly, he might need the run,’ so that’s a positive for two weeks’ time,” O’Brien said.
“But he’s got an amazing nature, he’s a very relaxed, sensible colt. He always travelled comfortably there, was challenged and he was finding plenty, so I think he’s well above average.
“He’s a beautiful colt, he’s got a proper pedigree. He’s by a tremendous stallion in Street Boss and his first three dams are all two-year-old Stakes winners.
“There’s plenty there to like.”
Dee's Pleasant Surprise
Dee, who won last year’s Diamond on Devil Night, was too taken with Closer To Free’s trial, and was pleasantly surprised to find out he had been booked to ride him on debut.
Devil Night ran a close second in the same race en route to his Diamond win, and the top hoop felt plenty of similarities between him and O’Brien’s colt.
“I saw him live when he trialled, and I thought, ‘wow, what was that thing?’” he said.
“It wasn’t until last Saturday that Jack Howard (Racing Manager) said, ‘we’ve booked you aboard this two-year-old we’ve bought the other day,’ so I was quite excited.
“He does everything perfectly… he actually gives me a similar feel to what Devil Night did last year, in the same race today last year.
“Hopefully that’s good signs going forwards.”
Blue Diamond bettors agree – Closer To Free is now $5, behind Big Sky ($4), with Guest House (disappointing as favourite) and Fillies’ Prelude winner Streisand, sharing the third line of betting at $5.50 apiece.
Story by Darcy Cosgriff for Racing.com
Pics by Racing Photos