Southern Dancer the one to beat

By Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

THE TWO-year-olds hold centre stage at Caymanas Park today with five slated to contest the Eddie Black Memorial Cup feature over 600 metres straight. Post time is noon and 12 races are scheduled.

Trainer Wayne DaCosta holds a strong hand with the highly-fancied pair of SOUTHERN DANCER and CLASSY TANYA, both of whom showed promise in their respective races earlier this month.

CLASSY TANYA, a chestnut filly by Prime Rate Powers out of Scatterbrain, was a close fourth to QUE'S PRINCESS in the season's first 2-y-o race for the Starters' Trophy over 400 metres straight on May 6, staying on to finish 1 3/4 lengths away.

Eighteen days later it was the turn of SOUTHERN DANCER to make his debut in the $500,000 Scratchers' Dash Trophy over 600 metres straight.

Racing prominently throughout, the bay colt by Dixie Dancer out of Nicole's Decision finished 4 3/4 lengths third to hot favourite STORMONTHELOOSE in the record time of 34.3.

Since then SOUTHERN DANCER and CLASSY TANYA have looked sharp at exercise, especially SOUTHERN DANCER who could be a bit more forward at this stage and thus catches my fancy.

Included in the lineup is the debutante SEEK, a chestnut filly by Prime Rate Powers out of the Tudor Harmony mare Polyanthus, as well as FULL-HUNDRED who finished 1 1/2 lengths third to QUE PRINCESS in the Starters' Trophy.

The Percy Hussey-trained SEEK has been working fairly well and seems sufficiently forward in condition to make a favourable first impression with connections going for title chasing apprentice Ramon Parish rather than Charles Hussey who would be forced to go overweight.

All factors considered, SOUTHERN DANCER to be ridden by in-form jockey Leo "Twitch" Miller, should set off in front on the far rails and prove hard to deny.

Elsewhere on the programme, PREACH PREACHER who led for a long way in the recent Lotto Classic for the Governor's Cup, looks the one to be on when she reports for the Restricted Allowance 11 (non winners of two) over 1700 metres for native bred three-year-olds.

Trained by DaCosta, PREACH PREACHER weakened into fourth place behind easy winner PEACE & LOVE in the Lotto Classic after suffering interference from the runner-up ECSTATIC (disqualified) early in the straight and was subsequently promoted to third.

That was a vastly improved performance by PREACH PREACHER who two weeks before the Lotto Classic was a beaten favourite (close fifth) to UKNOWFATHEROACHE over the circular nine course after making most.

Now back among non winners of two, PREACH PREACHER should lead home old rival SEA COMMANADER, who was unplaced in the Lotto Classic, the lightly raced but progressive CRIMSON DAWN and the improving filly LADY CHATURA.

Other firm fancies on the card are STRAIGHT SIX (has superior pace) to stave off LUCKI PLUCKI in the first race over a mile, free running MEDIATOR to upstage the debutante BUSHWACKER in the fourth, JUST DO IT (loves the straight) to beat ADDED EXCITEMENT in the sixth, recent winner ESCROW (fit, gets the distance) to topple front-running CHATTANOOGA STAR and SIR RAMNATH GUPTA in the seventh and DIXIE INFERNO (running very well, loves course) to upstage RAVELLO, KAZETO, BULLET and TRAFALGAR in the knottty closing race over the straight five course.

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