By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterTHE ASH Wednesday Trophy, an overnight allowance race over 1300 metres, is the feature event at Caymanas Park today, the well-supported holiday programme commencing at 12:30 p.m.
A maximum field of 16 is down to face the starter and as is customary at this level, the race should be keenly contested every inch of the way. Those expected to figure prominently are STRAIGHT SIX, HARLEY BARLEY, KING AL, COMING WEST, DIXIE FLYER, WHITE WATER, THE SANDMAN, MAN FROM ELDORADO, SYRENA MYSTIQUE and LITTLE OCHIE.
Speed is strongly represented by STRAIGHT SIX, FRIENDLY EXPRESS, COMING WEST, WHITE WATER and BUCKEISHA. Chances are the pace will come back to one of the genuine run on horses like KING AL, or his stable-companion THE SANDMAN, SELENA MYSTIQUE and DIXIE FLYER.
Leading trainer Wayne DaCosta holds a strong hand with KING AL and lightly weighted THE SANDMAN, to be ridden by in-form jockeys Trevor Simpson and Peter Bryan respectively.
KING AL will more than likely start favourite following his close second to stable-companion THE BARBARIAN in the round five Norfolk Cup on January 30, running on strongly to be beaten by three-quarter length after coming wide into the straight.
In so doing, KING AL had the likes of WHITE WATER (third), MAN FROM ELDORADO (fourth), FRIENDLY EXPRESS (sixth) and THE SANDMAN (seventh) behind him that day, the latter running on late to finish five lengths away after a six-month layoff.
THE SANDMAN, in particular, will welcome the additional real estate and can get there in time, once coming away cleanly.
Still, I doubt he can turn the tables on KING AL who will also have stripped fitter for his Norfolk Cup effort.
A proven campaigner, KING AL last won over today's trip on September 29 when outduelling RAKKADASH by a neck in the good time of 1:19.4. He will report focused for this trophy and despite the claims of THE SANDMAN, SELENA MYSTIQUE, COMING WEST and STRAIGHT SIX, they have the 4-y-o son of Al's River Cat and Zuki Princess to beat in a race of this nature.
I think KING AL has most to fear from Garrett Arscott's SELENA MYSTIQUE, one who not only reports fit and light under bang in form lightweight Robert Reid, but is back with a sound chance on the strength of her disqualified win over 1200m on December 1 in overnight company.
Other firm fancies on the card are CHICA GRANDE to catch PREMIER SOLUTION in the third race, STRATEGIC PARTNERS to rebound at the expense of LADY SATTIE and MYBLUBELLE in the fifth, recent runway winner SILVER WEDDING to repeat at the expense of old rival MARIA MARIA, PRINCE ADAM and MAUREEN'S SILVER in the seventh and the unbeaten 3-y-o COURT CASE to complete the hat-trick at the expense of the highly thought of American debutant SPIRIT OF JAMAICA in the ninth.
