By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterTODAY'S HOLIDAY programme at Caymanas Park features the $330,000-$290,000 claiming race for the Emancipation Day Trophy over 1300 metres, along with the Henry McGrath Memorial Cup starter handicap II and overnight allowance over the same distance.
Post time is 1:00 p.m. and nine races are scheduled. Significantly, this meet marks the first leg of the Independence Racing Carnival which continues on Saturday and ends next Tuesday, Independence Day.
A maximum field of 16 is slated for the Emancipation Day Trophy from which the former top-class sprinter PERSONAL NEMESIS, PROCEEDACCORDINGLY, MAN OF STAR, SIR KISSON LAL, KERMIT and the three-year-olds SIG SAUER and SAINT COLUMBA are main hopefuls.
PROCEEDACCORDINGLY, the mount of champion jockey Charles Hussey, steps down from overnight allowance to high claiming to vie for this trophy and having caught the eye in running last Saturday, will more than likely go to the post favourite.
Contesting the valuable RJR Classic over 1500 metres on Saturday, PROCEEDACCORDCINGLY finished seven lengths ninth.
However, the six-year-old bay gelding from the stables of Patrick Fong ran much better than his final placing indicated, actually disputing the lead in the early stages to be a close up fourth passing the half mile behind fast splits (23.3, 46.3). After turning for home five lengths fifth (despite interference), PROCEEDACCORDINGLY flattened out but in the end was not disgraced.
Now dropped in class and his fitness not in doubt, this offspring of The Medic will not go down easily in my book.
In fact, I would look no further for the winner, even though the fleet-footed PERSONAL NEMESIS is sure to make a brave bid from in front, while the three-year-olds SAINT COLUMBA (working well now) and SIG SAUER (focused for this) have the ability to rebound in a race of this nature and neither can be discounted.
Others worthy of hi-five consideration are SIR KISSON LAL and MAN OF STAR, both having run well at this level in recent months.
I am expecting PROCEEDACCORDINGLY to race in close touch of the Philip Feanny-trained PERSONAL NEMESIS before wearing him down in the drive to win comfortably.
Only five will contest the Henry McGrath Memorial Cup, but despite the small field the race promises to be keenly contested among the stable-companions MICHELKA and PREFECT from the stables of Percy Hussey, as well as GLORIOUS STAR and GOINGTOKANSASCITY from the stables of leading trainer Wayne DaCia.
PREFECT, the mount of 1997 champion jockey Wesley "Callaloo" Henry who returns home following a stint in North America to ride for the first time at Caymanas Park in 11 months, is obviously the fastest in the lineup and with a mere 47.0kg, will have to be caught.
Still, the stable confidence seems to be behind recent winner MICHELKA under champion jockey Charles Hussey, who I suspect will chase PREFECT into the straight before going by. Question is. Can MICHELKA hold topweight GLORIOUS STAR and GOINGTOKANSASCITY under leading jockey Trevor Simpson at bay?
Having won his last two races over 1200m convincingly, GOINGTOKANSASCITY is right back to his best and with only 51.5kg is preferred to MICHELKA.
Other firm fancies - INSTRUMENTAL (third race), KING RICHARD (fifth), LADY SHALIMAR to stave off WARRIOR in the sixth and NUCLEAR POWER to stop SEALOFAPPROVAL in the eighth.
