Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterTODAY's 11-race programme offers two trophy races, the 3-y-o and up Starter Handicap II and Overnight Allowance for the Pringle Cup over 1100 metres and the 2-y-o Maiden Special over the round five course for the Royal Lancaster Trophy.
The latter race should resolve itself into a straight fight between TO SIR WITH LOVE and JOHNNY'S KING, both of whom finished second on their recent debut.
The Percy Hussey-trained TO SIR WITH LOVE chased home highly thought of THE VICE in a fast-run 1100-metre race when making his debut on November 2 and has moved nicely at exercise since. JOHNNY'S KING, on the other hand, was 1 1/2 lengths second to WAR TURF over 1200 metres when making his debut on October 30.
The dark bay colt by America's Pal out of Grady's Testamony led for over 1000 metres that day and now better for the experience, should make another brave bid. Still, TO SIR WITH LOVE strikes me as the better of the two and thus gets the vote.
It would be fitting to see the Husseys winning this particular race with the bay colt by Royal Minister out Kay Bird, seeing that they were the owners of Royal Lancaster who was the champion two-year-old of 1985 by virtue of going unbeaten in seven starts.
TO SIR WITH LOVE has pleased at exercise since making his debut and with nothing of the calibre of THE VICE around, should prove too strong for JOHNNY'S KING.
Meanwhile, six have been declared for the Pringle Cup and here it should come down to a three-cornered tussle among RAKKADASH, recent winner SELENA MYSTIQUE and the Hussey-trained MICHELKA who ran creditably behind I'MSATISFIED in the Red Stripe Caribbean Sprint over 1200 metres last Saturday, a race in which she turned for home a close third and was actually second passing the furlong pole before fading into fifth, 8 1/2 away.
In the process, MICHELKA had RAKKADASH behind in seventh place, but this will be a different race.
RAKKADASH, who had won his three previous races prior to the Caribbean Sprint including a record run over the straight, was used up too early last Saturday, actually catching the gate and pressing the early leader GOINGTOKANSASCITY for the first couple of furlongs before fading. His more fancied stable-companion, I'MSATISFIED romped the event.
RAKKADASH will report more focussed for this race and despite the strong claims of MICHELKA (who will carry some 2.0kg overweight for the services of outgoing champion jockey Charles Hussey), the much improved 4-y-o gelding from the stables of champion trainer Philip Feanny, is tipped to rebound under topweight of 57.0kg.
Other firm fancies on the card are MISS HOLLYWOOD (little to beat) over SHOWDOWN in the first race, MR. EDMUNDO (has kept better company than these), MEDICAL ALERT (stepping down, truly loves the straight), DIM SUM (going places) to lead home MISS U.DOC in the 7th, and TIME AND AGAIN (genuine, consistent) over MYBLUBELLE and SUMO in the 9th.
