By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterIT'S HOLIDAY racing at Caymanas Park today, the Independence Day 10-race programme featuring the million-dollar Prime Minister's Stakes for three-year-olds and up over 2000 metres.
Also on the well supported holiday card is the 2003 Independence Stakes Trophy (claiming $140,000) over 1600 metres. This has attracted 12 starters including top contenders RED LADY, WARRIOR, MEADOW STAR, ROBOCOP, KATAN and SEEMELATER.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Stakes has attracted seven starters and from the look of things, it promises to be an intriguing contest.
Leading trainer Philip Feanny holds a particularly strong hand with three challengers in MILLIMETRE, SATISFIER and the progressive three-year-old gelding HERECOMESFUDGIE, fresh from his memorable victory in the Cable & Wireless Mobile St. Leger over the distance on July 5 when denying stable-companion A KING IS BORN triple crown glory.
COMPETITIVE RACE
The Feanny trio along with two-time 'Horse of the Year' MENUDO (a past winner), who shoulders top weight of 58kg and ROYAL RUN should ensure a highly competitive race.
Also in the lineup is last year's winner SIR MOHANDAS BABA, who has declined in ability this year and should be overwhelmed by the principals and also the free-running WITHALLMYHEART, who though lacking the class has the necessary speed to ensure an honest pace for the first half of the race.
Any of the Feanny-trained runners is capable of winning a race of this nature, but most betting activity will no doubt surround SATISFIER and up-in-class HERECOMESFUDGIE who will be taking on the best of the older distance horses for the first time.
SATISFIER won the Viceroy Trophy over 1800 metres by two lengths from the Wayne DaCosta-trained ROYAL RUN with a similar distance to MILLIMETRE in third on July 5. At the revised weights it should be real close between SATISFIER and R0YAL RUN who renews the rivalry on 4kg better terms today.
While the much improved SATISFIER will again prove a tough opponent, the swing in favour of ROYAL RUN could just tilt the balance in favour of the consistent four-year-old gelding, especially going two turns.
ROYAL RUN, to again be ridden by champion jockey Trevor Simpson, should also maintain his superiority over MILLIMETRE even though the 2001 Guineas and St. Leger winner just doesn't know how to run a bad race.
MENUDO, on the other hand, has worked exceptionally well in preparation for this race and while having no peers over the distance, could find ROYAL RUN a handful on the basis of their Superstakes running last November when a length and a half separated them from first and second.
Now 4kg better off at the weights with four-time Superstakes winner MENUDO, ROYAL RUN should be good enough to have his measure as he is obviously a better animal at four.
Indeed, if ROYAL RUN is beaten, the one best equipped to do so is HERECOMESFUDGIE who won the Lotto Classic for the Governor's Cup and St. Leger over this very trip during the past three months.
The bay gelding by Law Of The Sea out of Hya produced a tremendous stretch run to catch his frontrunning stable-companion A KING IS BORN close home in the St. Leger. He seems at a stage of rapid improvement and could prove the fly in the ointment with in-form lightweight Wesley Henry riding him from the convenient mark of 48kg.
It promises to be a good race, but it is the Royal Minister-Run Marisa Run offspring ROYAL RUN who catches my fancy. He has the pace to race in touch of the expected leaders MENUDO, SATISFIER and WITHALLMYHEART for most of the way and the necessary kick up the lane if the situation demands.
I also like WARRIOR to catch RED LADY and SEEMELATER in the 2003 Independence Stakes Trophy, TO BE CONTINUED over STRAWBERRY QUEEN and MOLTEN LAVA in the fourth for maidens, straight specialist BUSHY PARK RAJA to catch THE SEVENTH WAVE in the fifth, ADUKI over MOTHER OF PEARL and BLESSED ONE in the seventh and MY DEAR TUDOR to catch SIR VISHNU KUMAR and TANGO DANCER in the nightpan.
