This is going to upset one or two folks, but none of those forks would be good freeride forks. The Manitou is a good fork for XC or general purpose fork. I wouldn't touch the Rock Shock; they seem to have "issues" on a regular basis and are NOT very strong or predictable. RST sucks, period. They are around simply to help manufacturers meet pricepoints on low-end bikes.
If freeride is what you want (and you say that is your interest) then you need to look at ONLY Marzocchi Z1 QR 20's (whether the Free ride or Dirt jumper) or the Manitou Sherman line. They are both 20mm axle forks, both predictable (with their steering), strong as hell, very adjustable, user serviceable, and ultimately designed for getting the [censored] beat out of them! There are one or two other options out there, but they both cost $1000 or more and are from boutique builders and hard to find and maintain.