Orville Clarke
, Freelance WriterTWELVE top class horses are slated to contest the 32nd running of the Lotto Gold Cup over 1400 metres, and what a race it promises to be.
The Lotto Combo Raceday also features the $500,000 Sweet Ruckus Trophy for native and imported two-year-olds over 1400 metres, while all the remaining races on the 12-race programme offer trophies donated by the sponsors, the Jamaica Lottery Company Limited.
A star-studded field is slated for the $1.25 million Gold Cup feature from which last year's Triple Crown winner I'MSATISFIED (Winston Griffiths), stable-companion MILLIMETRE (Charles Hussey) and the newly crowned Caribbean Sprint champion COOL WATER (Trevor Simpson) are top contenders.
Others expected to figure are the recent winner RATIFIED, this year's Lotto Classic (Governor's Cup) winner PEACE & LOVE, fleet-footed METEOR MAN and CRUSADER'S SHIELD who won the valuable Red Stripe Mile on November 10.
Percy Hussey's PEACE & LOVE has also looked well at exercise, will not find the trip too sharp and along with CRUSADER'S SHIELD and especially the back to form RATIFIED, should give good account of themselves.
Still, I believe the race will come down to the three genuine 'A1' horses - I'MSATISFIED, MILLIMETRE and COOL WATER.
Champion trainer Philip Feanny, who saddled LET'S GO DANCIN to win ahead of stable-companion I'MSATISFIED, GAILY DECORATED and COOL WATER last year, holds a strong hand once again with I'MSATISFIED and the 2000 Guineas, St. Leger and WITRA Classic winner MILLIMETRE.
Both were beaten by 'Horse of the Year' MENUDO in the November 10 Red Stripe Superstakes over 2000 metres, I'MSATISFIED chasing the winner relentlessly only to lose second to the fast finishing MILLIMETRE in deep stretch.
Both report well prepared and over the shorter distance it should be extremely close between them. I'MSATISFIED is not too heavy with 58.0kg in my book to take top honours.
Judging from his performance in the Pespi Magic Trophy race over 1500 metres on September 29 when staving off versatile COOL WATER by three-quarter length, I'MSATISFIED can truly satisfy his connections, even though not the best drawn at post position one.
STILL, I prefer MILLIMETRE who has more scope for improvement and thus gets my vote. The chestnut colt by Royal Minister out of Millford Sound has established himself as the best three-year-old in training and at this time of the year, should be ready to give the older horses hell.
MILLIMETRE experienced a troubled trip in the Superstakes and in the circumstances did well to finish second. He will not be inconvenienced by the reduced trip and despite the sound claims of I'MSATISFIED and also Richard Azan's COOL WATER, who will be coming to run under in-form Trevor Simpson, I suspect MILLIMETRE should prove too strong for rivals in deep stretch. He's not too high in the handicaps with 55.5kg to accomplish the feat.
Other firm fancies on the card are FIRST TRICK to make all the expense of DELAY OF GAME in the 5th, SILVER FOX (knocking at the door) to come good in the 6th, BINGO PRINCESS (back to where she is comfortable) to go all the way in the 7th where RAJMIR and BUTCHER MAN are man dangers, the recently disqualified winner SELENA MYSTIQUE to atone at the expense of old rivals THE BARBARIAN and STRAIGHT SIX in the 9th for the Lotto Combo 7 Sprint Trophy over 1200m, and SEEMELATER (back in a convenient spot) to beat THE WHITE WITCH and BULLETWOOD in the 10th.
