By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterTHE RESTRICTED Allowance I for the Rameses Trophy over 1600 metres is the principal feature on today's Caymanas Park 10-race programme which kicks off at 12:30 p.m.
Also on the card is the $200,000-$180,000 claiming race for the Mortimer 'Morty' Heron Memorial Cup over the circular nine course. Included in the line-up are QUEEN HILL, SEAMASTER, CHAMBA KOO, DE BARREL COME and ACTION, all winners this season.
SEAMASTER produced a devastating stretch run to catch and beat CIRCLE DE THRONE and long-time leader DE BARREL COME over the distance when last raced on October 12. To my mind, however, DE BARREL COME, who tried to make all that day, was in receipt of a hurried ride and in this smaller field, the Wayne DaCosta-trained 5-y-o mare will prove harder to beat.
The consistent QUEEN HILL, who has won two of her past four races, is back with a good chance in present company having come down a notch to vie for this trophy.
DE BARREL COME, however, is back among her peers after that unplaced effort behind stable-companion PLEASANT WOOD last Friday and is now expected to turn the form around from the convenient mark of 52 kg. Leading jockey Trevor Simpson has the ride.
Meanwhile, 11 starters have been declared for the Rameses Trophy and here the ones that matter are PROMINENT, SHAHID, HAPHAZARD and the imported filly BROADWAY BELLE, who was a fast-finishing second to IDITAROD over 1500 metres on October 26.
HAPHAZARD, despite a dismal effort as favourite last time out, has been fitted with the tongue tie for this race and can prove that last run all wrong. And SHAHID was a fast-finishing third to MEANT TO BE in a fast-run 1100-metre race on November 9 and with a mile just perfect, will not be out of it.
Despite the good claims of SHAHID in particular, my idea of the winner is PROMINENT who has kept better company in recent months. The roan gelding from the stables of Michael Beecham lost the Knutsford Park Cup (third) to SHAHID on August 24 but subsequently beat a good field over the straight five course a week later.
Having run some useful races in defeat since, including a good third at long odds to LSC CHOICE and MEDIC ON BOARD in a circular nine trophy race on October 5, PROMINENT will not go down easily under in-form Panamanian Ameth Robles.
Other firm fancies on the card are DON FABULOSA in the second race, THE MINISTER over UNLEADED in the fifth, PAY PER VIEW to lead home MY PAL DON and GLOBALSTAR in the sixth, THE SANDMAN to catch stable-companions GOINGTOKANSASCITY and KING AL in the seventh and recent runaway winner PERSONAL NEMESIS to make all at the expense of EL MATADOR and PROUDEST NATIVE in Division I of the third.
