By Orville Clarke, Freelance
Writer
Henry... to ride ROYAL ECHO in
second race for native bred two-year-olds. - File
THIS WEEK'S Racing Pools game
offers a small carryover of only $20,935 but there being no Friday racing and
the worst of the weather behind sales should pick up significantly.
The competitive looking Owners'
Association Day programme commences with a one mile claiming race ($150,000
to $130,000) to be contested by eight starters. With most having good
claims, the competition promises to be keen.
The main hopeful are the down in class three-year-olds VALIANT NATURE and CHAMBA KOO, neither of whom were disgraced behind SILVER WEDDING in the Reca Trophy over 1400 metres on Wednesday, along with consistent TEMPTRESS, back to form CALENDAR GIRL and the down in class RED LADY.
VALIANT NATURE and CHAMBO KOO
ran on strongly in better company to be beaten 3 1/2 lengths fifth and four
lengths seventh respectively to 15-1 upsetter SILVER WEDDING on Wednesday.
Both will not only welcome the drop in class but the additional furlong of this race as well, especially VALIANT NATURE who will only need to be alert at the start to catch them in deep stretch.
While TEMPTRESS and CALENDAR GIRL will have their supporters, I believe if VALIANT NATURE or CHAMBA KOO are beaten, RED LADY (also down in class) has the pace and proven ability to accomplish this with a mere 48.0kg.
The second race for native bred three-year-olds looks tailored for ROYAL ECHO, the mount of in-form jockey Wesley Henry who rode six winners on Wednesday.
Significantly, the bay gelding has been fitted with the visor, tongue tie and figure eight for this race, will not find the distance too sharp and should prove too strong for POINT TAKEN and RUN JAN RUN in deep stretch.
The day's five star banker comes in the form of JUSTIFIED AWARD in race three over the straight five course. Trained by Jackson Hong, the speedy bay filly won easily over the course on her September 20 debut and having run a blinder in defeat against ESPRESSO last Saturday, is hard to oppose against the likes of ROBOCOP and DANCING JINSKY.
Speedy SWEET RIVER GAL with Henry aboard could prove best of a moderate lot in the fourth race for maiden four-year-olds, but VIENTO could burst her bubble if able to overcome the dreaded number one draw while MAKING FRIENDS could at last live up to her name from the convenient mark of 51.0kg.
They run for the Dr. Ralston Feanny Memorial Trophy over 1100 metres in the fifth and here DANZIG LA RAE, GUNG TONG WAH, WATERS OF MERRIBAH and not least, PRETTYPRESUMPTUOUS are the main hopefuls in a field of nine.
The Wayne DaCosta-trained PRETTYPRESUMPTUOUS will more than likely start favourite even though racing for the first time since March of this year.
On that occasion he failed in his bid to win his third consecutive race when beaten over 1400 metres, but reverts to the distance of his two wins this time and having worked fairly well, will prove hard to beat with only 51.5kg. WATERS OF MERRIBAH and DANZIG LA RAE, both well trained, are twin dangers
The last three races should be won by in-form CHOCOLATE SLEW, MEDIC ON BOARD in the seventh race for the Jamaica Racehorse Owners' Association Trophy over 2000 metres and recent winner BIG BELLY SAM to repeat in the eighth and final.
Their respective dangers are THE PATRIOT in the 6th, bold front runner ECSTATIC in the 7th and SOPHISTICATED LADY in the 8th and final.
SELECTIONS
(1) VALIANT NATURE/CHAMBA
KOO/RED LADY
(2) ROYAL ECHO/POINT TAKEN/RUN
JAN RUN
(3) JUSTIFIED AWARD/ROBOCOP
(4) SWEET RIVER GIRL/VIENTO/MAKING
FRIENDS
(5) PRETTYPRESUMPTUOUS/DANZIG
LA RAE/WATERS OF MERRIBAH
(6) CHOCOLATE SLEW/THE PATRIOT/PEARL
OF MY HEART
(7) MEDIC ON BOARD/ECSTATIC/FABRIKATOR
(8) BIG BELLY SAM/SOPHISTICATED
LADY/SUZIE'S GIFT
