Winston Griffiths (left) and Phillip Feanny (right) should make it a double on the card courtesy of the unbeaten 3-y-o gelding Distinctly Irish and I'msatisfied.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
TWO-TIME champion sprinter I'MSATISFIED goes for his second cup race win of the season when he takes on six opponents in the 3-y-o up graded stakes for the Arthur Jones Cup over 1200 metres, feature event on the Jockeys' Association Day 12-race programme. Post time noon.
In keeping with the Jockeys' Association Day theme, the well-supported card features as many as five trophy races, these in honour or in memory of jockeys who have made an impact not only at Caymanas Park but further afield.
Apart from Arthur Jones Cup, in memory of the legendary rider who won an unprecedented 10 championships and rode 727 winners on all courses in Jamaica (Knutsford Park, Marley, Caymanas Park), there is the $170,000 - $145,000 claiming for the Jockeys' Association of Jamaica Trophy which should come down to a three-cornered tussle involving recent winners CHAMBA KOO and the recent winners SUPREME POWER and SEEMELATER, the Al Gopie Memorial Cup over 1000 metres straight, the George HoSang Trophy (overnight allowance) in honour of Jamaica's finest jockey and the Trevor 'Slicer' Simpson Trophy (maiden 3-y-o) over 1300 metres, this in honour of the reigning champion jockey.
The Arthur Jones Cup has attracted seven starters, including old rivals I'MSATISFIED, HERECOMESFUDGIE and LIL' COUNTRY BOY, the trio from which the winner should emerge.
SMART TIME
When all three last met in the Eros Trophy over 1400 metres on March 6, HERECOMESFUDGIE took over the lead from LIL' COUNTRY BOY 600 metres out, got first run on I'MSATISFIED and in a driving finish beat his illustrious stable-companion by half a length in the smart time of 1:24.3.
Prior to that, however, I'MSATISFIED beat both LIL' COUNTRY BOY and HERECOMESDFUDGIE by two lengths and half length, respectively, in the Abe Issa Memorial Cup over today's trip on February 21. Reverting to this his pet trip, the seven-year-old son of The Medic will prove hard to beat despite customary topweight of 57.0 and leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths again in the saddle.
LIL' COUNTRY BOY, with Trevor Simpson taking over the reins, should once again prove fastest of all and if his Abe Issa performance is anything to go by, will have to be caught.
I'MSATISFIED, however, seems best equipped to overhaul the fleet-footed imported colt from the stables of champion Wayne DaCosta and hold the still sufficiently light HERECOMESFUDGIE at bay in the closing stages. The two-time champion sprinter really needs no introduction.
Griffiths and Feanny should make it a double on the card courtesy of the unbeaten 3-y-o gelding DISTINCTLY IRISH, who makes his seasonal debut in the seventh race over 1300 metres, his prep for the April 3 Track Price Plus 2000 Guineas.
Having looked the part at exercise since romping home in the $2 million Jamaica Lottery Company 2-Y-O Stakes over a mile last Boxing Day, DISTINCTLY IRISH, who obvious has an abundance of class, should make it four in a row, using this as a stepping stone for possible Triple Crown honours later on. The son of Irish Quest - Distinctly Native, which makes her a half sister to reigning 'Horse of the Year' A KING IS BORN, has little to beat in the field of six and should lead home the imported filly LADY KAYLA.
Other firm fancies on the card are CHAMBO KOO to catch SUPREME POWER in the Jockeys' Association Trophy race, RED BOOTLACES in the 5th, straight specialist KAYDENE over SOPHISTICATED LADY in the Division I of the CTL Stable Riders Race, CAPTAIN BLIGHT to catch SCOTCHONTHEROCKS and ABUELO in the George HoSang Trophy and LADY LAMMTARRA over SEE THE LIGHT and the well advanced debutante LOCH NESS DRAGON in the closing race for the Trevor Simpson Trophy.
