By Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer 
Simple Magic and Young For All
CAYMANAS Park will come alive with excitement this Saturday for the 82nd running of the Red Stripe Jamaica Derby to be contested by the best native bred three-year-olds over a distance of 2400 metres.
Sponsored by Red Stripe Limited, the Derby offers a total purse of $3 million and a lien on the Sir John Mordecai Trophy. But separate and apart, it's the glory that comes with winning a Derby that will ultimately count for connections of the winner, hence the high esteem in which the race is held universally.
Twelve entries were received last Saturday and with the two Guineas winners, FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE and SIMPLY MAGIC (who also romped the Oaks) present, not to mention the two horses who fought out the May 19 Lotto Classic (Governor's Cup), namely SIR DONALD and YOUNG FOR ALL, it promises to be an intriguing contest for the winner's share of the purse, $1.6 million.
Entries along with riding plans are as follows:
The lone filly SIMPLY MAGIC (Winston Griffiths), FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE (Charles Hussey), SIR DONALD (Joe Buchanan), YOUNG FOR ALL (Trevor Simpson), MEDIC ON BOARD (Allen Maragh), BROTHER DANIEL (Clive Lynch), REJECT (Brian Harding), BOMBS OVER BAGHDAD (Hubert Bartley), QUICK MEDIC (Devon S. Thomas), SHAHID, RED GENERAL and PRODIGAL SON.
Both PRODIGAL SON and RED GENERAL are doubtful starters, their respective trainers indicating that they will miss the race for varying reasons. Yesterday, trainer Anthony Nunes said he was "not happy" with Prodigal Son's preparation and will bypass the Derby and await the St. Leger three weeks later.
Champion trainer Philip Feanny will saddle the ante-post favourite SIMPLY MAGIC, who bids for her sixth consecutive win, as well as the outsider REJECT, while leading trainer Wayne DaCosta has two worthy contenders in YOUNG FOR ALL, one who was considered an unlucky loser of the Lotto Classic when unsettled by a tyre mark in the track a furlong out, and MEDIC ON BOARD.
The third trainer to mount a two-pronged challenge is Percy Hussey. He saddles his 2000 Guineas hero FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE and the recent winner BROTHER DANIEL.
Already, the top contenders have been burning up the track at exercise, none more so than the flying filly SIMPLY MAGIC and FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE.
Yesterday morning SIMPLY MAGIC looked really impressive in a nine-furlong spin, ridden last six in 1:13.0 easily. Then on June 4 she galloped a mile in 1:40.2, coming the last seven in 1:27.1 easily (looked well).
FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE, who according to trainer Hussey will be fitted with the blinkers on Saturday, has been no less impressive on the exercise track in that equipment.
Ruth Hussey's bay gelding by Prime Rate Powers out of Marlee Barley was caught in a nine-furlong spin on Sunday morning, galloping five furlongs in 1:01.0 easily and putting away stable-companion PEACE AND LOVE with contemptuous ease in the process. Prior to that on June 2, "THE RUSSIAN" cantered ten furlongs, coming the last mile in 1:42.1 by 1:28.2 for 7F (easily) in the blinkers.
DaCosta's pair of YOUNG FOR ALL and MEDIC ON BOARD has been taking turns at beating each other at exercise. On Sunday morning, YOUNG FOR ALL galloped seven furlongs in 1:28.1 (tongue tied), beating MEDIC ON BOARD (1:28.4) in that particular work.
However, on June 3, MEDIC ON BOARD had his measure in a longer exercise spin. Both cantered 12F, with MEDIC ON BOARD galloping the last nine in 1.56.3 by 1:44.0 for a mile as against YOUNG FOR ALL's 1:57.0 by 1:45.1.
Owner of YOUNG FOR ALL - Eddie Young - contends that YOUNG FOR ALL is not an "exercise horse" and is saving his best for the big day.
SIR DONALD has also looked well in his preparaton, even though he was blown away by stable-companion and reigning 'Horse of the Year' MENUDO in a seven furlong gallop on Sunday morning.
Owned and trained by Richard Azan, SIR DONALD was timed in a respectable 1:29.2 under Joe Buchanan, while MENUDO with Charlie Hussey up clocked a fantastic 1:25.3 (visor on) in preparation for his first race of the season on Saturday, the valuable Chairman's Trophy over 1500 metres for top class horses.
REJECT is the other Derby contender to have caught the eye at exercise. He galloped seven furlongs in 1:27.2 by 1:14.3 yesterday morning. And prior to that on June 4 the Feanny-trained colt cantered from the 10F, ridden last seven in 1:27.4 by 1:14.2.
What the top trainers have to say:
WAYNE DACOSTA: "My two horses should go well...I think Young For All has the bettter chance. He was unlucky in the Lotto Classic when losing his momentum by slowing down a furlong out because of a type mark in the track, enabling Sir Donald to past him. He rallied strongly in the closing stages only to lose by a neck.
"Being a May foal, Young For All has just turned three. But he is improving and above all, is bred to stay the Derby distance.
"Medic on Board, on the other hand, is suspect at the trip. However, I have taken off the visor and replaced it with a figure eight hoping that this will make him relax more and able to stay. Indeed, he has worked better without the visor.
"I see Fromrussiawithlove as the biggest danger to my horses because he is handicapped to win based on his Governor's Cup performance. He is sure to get the distance and has travelled nicely at exerecise in the blinkers as well.
"The filly Simply Magic can expect a truly run race from the word go. She will not be allowed to dictate the early fractions and therefore demolish the opposition as she has done in the past. However, she is definitely a class filly in the calibre of Thornbird and as such, you have to give her the benefit of the doubt," concluded the two-time champion trainer who has posted three Derby winners -- THORNBIRD (1984), WAR ZONE (1996) and GOOD PROSPECT (1999).
PERCY HUSSEY: "Both of my horses (Fromrussiawithlove, Brother Daniel) are fine and raring to go.
"Don't underestimate Brother Daniel. He has had his problems but all is now right with him. His mother Pleasant Company is out of one of Jamaica's best staying bloodlines, Regal Bloom. And his sire Al's River Cat is by River Man. However, Fromrussiawithlove stays better.
"He has worked extremely well in the blinkers and will run in them. He left himself with too much to do in the Governor's Cup and was actually a distant last at the half mile. The presence of the blinkers will prevent him from gazing around and designed to keep him focused on the task at hand. With the two turn experience behind him, don't be surprised if he wins convincingly", he explained.
Champion traner Philip Feanny, whose main hope lies with SIMPLY MAGIC, could not be reached for comment yesterday, but in his absence a stable source put it simply:
"She working like a bomb now. Is simply not a race... we only waiting on dividends to be declared."
Victory for the filly would give leading all-time jockey "Fanna" Grffiths his ninth Derby winner and extend his world record to 35 classic wins as well.
