ALNASKRA might seem heavy at 57.0 kilos for tomorrow afternoon's fifth race, an 1100-metre overnight allowance event. However, the four-year-old colt is super-fit and with the form of his last two races working out excellently, the Lawrence Freemantle-trained runner can defy the additional 14-lb burden.

Beaten by BLUE MAGIC and SLOGAN in his last two races, horses who went up to beat open allowance in their next races, ALNASKRA lost in very fast times.

Nabbed at the wire by SLOGAN, going 1400 metres, ALNASKRA was beaten in 1:25.1 on November 8. He returned 21 days later but was outfinished by BLUE MAGIC in 1:06.2, losing by a half-length in splits of 22.4 and 46.0.

Both horses franked the form on their next outings, up in class, almost a stamp of approval for ALNASKRA, whose main rival should be Philip Feanny's filly, THE QUEEN, who has found herself in overnight allowance by way of the stewards' room.

Technically, she is up in class, not as a 'winner' but an awardee, and will have to prove herself against the bang-in-form colt.

She has the scale to her advantage, all of 14 lb, as she races with 51.0 kilos, and has been running well. However, ALNASKRA has tactical early speed, which should have him clearing the field early down the backstretch with only MAGDALA as company.

DANCING SAM should also be thereabouts, relegating THE QUEEN to at least third place and probably bogged down along the rail from post-position one, giving her some work to do, coming from behind horses, by which time ALNASKRA should have flown the coop with Paul Francis.

Auction block

Tomorrow's feature, the 1600-metre Paul Newman Memorial, the ninth event for $390-350,000 claimers, looks cut and dried for THE SMOKER.

The five-year-old grey easily ran past $470,000 claimers back in September, but seems now to be on the auction block, unable to stand the rigours of training on the exercise track.

He has been proving his fitness in the equine pool in the mornings, swimming consistently for the past week, and should outbattle Ryan Darby's BONNIE'S VICTORY, who is hunting a double up in class.

Track Price Plus Pick-6 players hunting a dark horse to send the bookies running for cover should look to JACKBENIMBLE in the 1400-metre 10th race. The eight-year-old gelding scored a runaway 12-length win among $180,000 claimers on November 15 and jumped to non-winners-of-three a week later.

He weakened after showing up briefly at 1200 metres but now back among $180,000 horses, and running an easier pace, JACKBENIMBLE could run rivals into the ground at a good price.

Elsewhere on the 10-race card, start the day with the American-bred UNBRIDLED NUMBER in the opening event at 1300 metres. He went to post as a 4-5 favourite on November 26, but decked Shane Ellis at the gate.

He continues to look good in the mornings and caught the eye when clocking 1:46.3 for a mile after posting 1:00.2 down the backstretch, galloping from the gate out of the mile-chute.

STAR OF THE SEA also reads like a winner in the third race at a mile after beating PLEASURE FLIGHT at 1400 metres on November 26. She should stalk ZUN ZUN and HOMBRE into the lane before powering past both, getting first run on the late-closing REGAL SELECTION.

Close all bets with ME LLAMO in the fourth at 1820 metres. Forget his last race, won by out-of-class GOOD COMPANY. He's super light with 49.0 kilos and ran two sharp races at the level, third to fast flyer and a big win over MARKET BRIDLE, before throwing a clinker on last.