Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

DACOSTA

CHAMPION TRAINER Wayne DaCosta's MR SKILL should notch a hat-trick of wins in Saturday's co-feature, the 1400-metre Sweet Ruckus Trophy for two-year-olds, and seems to be a safe banker for Super-6 players in the seventh event.

DaCosta's runner beat ROYAL IMAGE at 1200 metres on December 12, lasting home by a length and a half after ripping quick splits down the backstretch to post a final time of 1:13.3.

MR SKILL appeared to be coming back a bit at the end but should be more comfortable on the lead this time around as he definitely went too fast, splits of 22.4, 34.0 and 58.1 for five furlongs.

Tackling five rivals, including American-bred SMOOTHABI-LITY, who made a smashing debut at 1200 metres on December 12 and returns treated with Lasix, MR SKILL's stamina will get an acid test, as he has never gone beyond 1300 metres.

However, DaCosta put the speedy gelding through his paces at exercise last Sunday morning and watched him gallop seven furlongs in 1:27.0, a decent time by any standards, beating the 1:28.2 SMOOTH-ABILITY posted during a workout earlier this month.

Leading rider Walker will be aboard Anthony Ferguson's SMOOTH-ABILITY and a hot show-down looms between himself and Dane Nelson astride MR SKILL, as both are regular riders for DaCosta, each gunning to outdo the other. MR SKILL's superior pace will have him out in front and dominating the early fractions, giving SMOOTH-ABILITY much more than he had to do against maidens.

Other picks

Super-6 players should also look to the speedy filly, OUT-STANDING, in the 1100-metre Pringle Cup for Open Allowance runners. She caused jaws to drop when she spun for home a length and a half clear of Grade ONE horses in the MegaFone Sprint on Superstakes Day. Trained by Allan E. 'Billy' Williams, OUTSTANDING was hunting a sixth straight win from as many career starts when she took on the best local-bred sprinters in the land but ran out of steam a half-furlong out, giving way to MUSICAL MAESTRO before finishing a close fourth.

However, she was far from disgraced after setting lightning splits of 22.3, 33.3, 45.4 and 58.3, disputing the fractions with PERFECT STEP from the half-mile before leading into the lane on the bridle.

American-bred EXPLOSIVE PEAK is the only matching speed to tackle OUTSTANDING but the Peter McMaster-trained five-year-old mare has not won a race on the bends for more than a year, recording her last three victories at 1,000 metres straight.

DIESEL and NASATOL finished third and fourth, respectively, behind JACK SPARROW in an Open Allowance event at 1300 metres on December 12 and will again try making their bids from off the pace if the top two falter.

Super-6 selections

(5) TRIPLEACCOUNT/

RIGMAROLE

(6) MAN OF THE SEA

(7) MR SKILL

(8) MAKING DREAMS/

DOMINADOR

(9) OUTSTANDING

(10) DANIELLE MY GIRL/

FABULOUS P