By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterTHE 3-Y-O AND up overnight allowance race for the William Read Memorial Trophy over 1300 metres is today's midweek feature at Caymanas Park.
Nine starters have been declared, including ZULU PRINCESS, DR. R.S.F. and SAINT COLUMBA, all of whom have won in recent weeks.
DR. R.S.F. won over the distance on August 1 when lifting the Eman-cipation Day Trophy by four lengths from TOCUMEN, but that was in high claiming.
STEPPING UP
Now stepping up to overnight allowance company with his fair share of weight, DR. R.S.F. should be hard pressed to repeat and a bigger danger to the fancied pair of ZULU PRINCESS and SAINT COLUMBA must be PHAREAL from the stables of leading trainer Philip Feanny.
The free-running three-year-old colt SCOTCHONTHEROCKS should also prove competitive, but whether he can escape ZULU PRINCESS or the stretch running SAINT COLUMBA is left to be seen.
ZULU PRINCESS, under leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths, will more than likely start favourite, following her impressive victory over the stable-companions TOCUMEN and SAINT COLUMBA at 1200 metres on July 23 when covering the distance in the smart time of 1:12.3.
True, the four-year-old filly from the stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta returns with top weight of 57kg, but this should not deter her as she has never been better.
SAINT COLUMBA, beaten four lengths into third by ZULU PRINCESS in that race, enjoys a substantial swing in the weights (8.5kg), sufficient to make it close especially going the additional 100 metres.
PHAREAL, winless in many moons, has been performing with some degree of consistency against horses of the calibre of FORGOTTEN HERO, PEACE & LOVE, BLACK THATCH and INSATIABLE, all having won out of overnight company.
The five-year-old son of Royal Minister-Honesty is ideally suited to the distance and with former champion Shane Ellis now slated to ride him, will not be far away at the end.
To my mind, it will more than likely come down to ZULU PRINCESS and SAINT COLUMBA under competent 3kg claiming apprentice Andrew Nunes, who has won with him in the past.
ZULU PRINCESS, who won in open allowance company last time out, looks the class horse of the field and in this respect, ought to be followed.
Other firm fancies on the card are VICTORY SALUTE, who beat all barring THE ENTERTAINER in the JLA Trophy on Saturday, to go one better in the third, RIVER JORDON (knocking at the door) in the fourth, HAPHAZARD to check the recent winner EMPERADOR in the fifth, CITY LIGHTS over U.S. ONE in the sixth and bold frontrunner SIREN over GUARDIAN ANGEL in the eighth.
