Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterONE OF THE more competitive races on today's Caymanas Park 10-race programme which surprisingly offers no trophy races, is the Restricted Allowance IV (non winners of three) for native bred four-year-olds and up over 1600 metres.
With no fewer than four of the eight starters declared having good claims, it should be a close and intriguing contest.
Leading lights are LADY ISIS, DANCING FLAMES, ROYAL FLIGHT and BLOODY MARY with back to form Wesley Henry aboard. Also present are the recent winners FRET THEM and SIR ABBAS MANGAL, both of whom are stepping up a bit and place prospects seem their best hope.
I for one would not be surprised to see ROYAL FLIGHT assuming that role of favourite, if only for the fact that she is down to be ridden by leading jockey Trevor Simpson who is poised to have a good day.
A model of consistency, ROYAL FLIGHT had some good horses behind her on August 30 when finishing six lengths second to ATLANTIC PRINCESS in a fast-run 1500-mere race. And nine days prior to that she ran EL MATADOR to a length over 1200 metres.
With her current form appealing, ROYAL FLIGHT will only go down fighting. The 4-y-o filly from the stables of Richie Todd will relish a mile, having notched her last win over same on May 29. She could well emulate that performance here.
LADY ISIS, now dropped from overnight to restricted allowance, must be a dangerous horse despite her unimpressive form in recent months. However, the easier pace and presence of in-form jockey Brian Harding could make a difference to LADY ISIS, who has stepped with better in the not too distant past.
The Andrew Nunes-trained BLOODY MARY is also expected to figure seriously from her convenient mark of 53.0kg. The four-year-old filly enjoyed her best form during the first quarter, winning twice when trained by Kenneth Mattis. She has worked fairly well for today's encounter and will not be out of it.
The one I like best, however, is DANCING FLAMES who caught the eye in running in her last two races.
Trained by Noel Ennevor, the 4-y-o filly by Splinter Red out of Christmas Dancer was a fast-finishing fourth (beaten three lengths) to AWESOME MINISTER over 1200 metres on August 6 when not getting the clearest of runs. And a fortnight earlier she failed by a nose to catch QUEEN'S SYMPHONY in a fast-run (58.3) straight five race.
Although missing from active competition for a month, DANCING FLAMES has been extensively prepared and none will report fitter. When last scoring over the circular nine course in February, DANCING FLAMES won by the resounding margin of 17 lengths from WARRIOR and ROYAL FLIGHT (both present again).
ROYAL FLIGHT should prove a different proposition this time around. But DANCING FLAMES, from her convenient mark of 53.0kg and Devon A. Thomas up, looks the one to beat.
Other firm fancies on the card are ROYAL ECHO (suited by all conditions) to beat ARIZONA STAR and DIANA'S HOPE in the 2nd race for maiden three-year-olds, PERSONAL TOUCH (little to beat) in the 4th, BUTCHER MAN over EYEOFTHETIGER in the 6th, TOUCMEN (pick of the weights) to nose out RED BOOTLACES in the 7th, IDITAROD in the 9th and BLACK MAGIC WOMAN (ran well from bad draw over course recently) to catch INDIAN RAJA and LEGIONAIR in the closing straight five race.
