SATISFIEROrville Clarke, Freelance Writer
THE season's first sponsored race day featuring the IGL Trophy is on at Caymanas Park today.
Ten horses from the overnight allowance class are slated to contest the IGL trophy over 1700 metres. The well supported 12-race programme also includes the inaugural running of the IGL Blue Flame Sprint Trophy over 1100 metres, a 4-y-o and up restricted allowance V (non winners of two) with a purse of $225,000. Eleven have been declared.
The IGL Trophy race, which was previously run on Fan Appreciation Day (New Year's Day) over 2200 metres, has been pushed back to later in January in order to avoid the backend of the hectic holiday season.
Offering a total purse of $365,000, the race brings together top contenders SATISFIER, bidding for a hat-trick of wins, GLORIOUS STAR and his much improved stable-companion PREMIER SOLUTION.
In addition to the above trio, others such as EMPERADOR, RED GENERAL and recent winner PROCEEDACCORDINGLY are fit enough to figure prominently.
Bang in form SATISFIER will more than likely start favourite following recent back to back wins, the last in overnight company on January 11 when leading home GLORIOUS STAR and PREMIER SOLUTION by 3 1/2 lengths over 1400 metres.
SATISFIER, who had previously scored over 1300 metres in non winners of four, beat GLORIOUS STAR and PREMIER SOLUTION with a bit in hand. But back in action over the longer distance of the IGL Trophy, GLORIOUS STAR, in particular, will prove a most dangerous opponent in the strong hands of jockey Clive Lynch.
What's more, the five-year-old horse from the stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta renews rivalry on 4.0kg better terms, sufficient to ensure that SATISFIER is fully extended in the final rush. Indeed, it is not beyond GLORIOUS STAR to turn the tables over the longer trip.
PREMIER SOLUTION also reports with less weight and this improving four-year-old filly is expected to carry the fight from her convenient mark of 49.5kg under in-form apprentice Paul Francis.
The same is true of EMPERADOR on the strength of his good second to ROYAL RUN over the circular nine course on December 14. Prior to that he was a length second to IDITAROD over 1600 metres on November 23. Back in action from the lenient mark of 49.0kg, EMPERADOR, who obviously has the pace to figure in the outcome, should make a good race of it.
I see it coming down to the quartet of SATISFIER, GLORIOUS STAR, EMPERADOR and PREMIER SOLUTION, but SATISFIER under in-form Panamanian jockey Ameth Robles should be good enough to stave off GLORIOUS STAR.
Other firm fancies on the card are CONQUISTADORESS (working well) to upstage GUNG TONG WAH, JUICE and YYESSBABY in the IGL Blue Flame Trophy, VIGILANTE to stop ELEGANCE and KING'S HIGHWAY in the 3rd, SOLILOQUY over old rival DIANA'S HOPE in the 4th, FRANCESCA'S DREAM over WAR EDGE in the 5th and ASHYJUR over UNTOUCHABLE and NOT QUITE MAGIC in the 6th.
