Griffiths
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
ALL ROADS lead to Caymanas Park today for the running of the season's first classics, the Track Price Plus 1000 and 2000 Guineas, both over 1600 metres.
Sponsored by Track Price Plus for the fifth consecutive year, the 1000 and 2000 Guineas both offer substantially increased purses of $2.25 million up from $1.75 million last year.
It also marks the start of the Triple Crown series which, since the advent of Track Price Plus as sponsors, have produced two Triple Crown winners in I'MSATISFIED (2000) and the filly SIMPLY MAGIC (2002), both trained by 13-time champion Philip Feanny.
If all goes according to the script, Feanny has another overwhelming Triple Crown candidate in DISTINCTLY IRISH, who is unbeaten in four starts.
The classy bay gelding by Irish Quest out of the 1990 Derby and 1000 Guineas winner Distinctly Native will be ridden by leading all-time classic winning jockey Winston 'Fanna' Griffiths for owner Hamark Farms (Howard Hamilton), trainer Feanny and breeder Ken Gooden, the same connections of last year winner A KING IS BORN, who subsequently won the 'Horse of the Year' award.
Having worked exceptionally well since scoring on his seasonal debut, DISTINCTLY IRISH looks hard to oppose. He boasts superior pace and should be racing the clock from a long way out. Big question is 'Who will finish second?'
Prime candidates are his lesser fancied stable-companion SUPREMELYSATISFIED who made virtually all to win the Prince Consort Trial Stakes over 1400 metres on March 13, the runner-up GOOD TO GO and of course, Richard Azan's BATTLEOX who chased home DISTINCTLY IRISH in the Jamaica Lottery Company 2-Y-O Stakes over a mile last Boxing Day. BATTLEOX, to be ridden by former champion Charles Hussey, should prove best of the rest.
While the 1000 Guineas is not as clear cut, LATONIA by virtue of her fighting victory over SEATTLE SUE in the Thornbird Trial Stakes over 1400 metres on March 13, looks the one to beat with leading jockey Shane Ellis riding for trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes, both of whom teamed up to win this race with 13-1 outsider RAY OF HOPE four years ago.
LATONIA, who was giving as much as 6.0kg to SEATTLE SUE, is expected to maintain her superiority over the Feanny-trained filly at level weights today. Yet, having said that, I believe the lightly raced SEATTLE SUE has tremendous scope for improvement and in the experienced hands of Griffiths, is sure to make a brave bid with her speed.
TOP RATED
The Percy Hussey-trained pair of SEGA and SLEW DANCER could also enter the reckoning, despite failing to achieve the level of success of LATONIA who by virtue of her fourth place finish to DISTINCTLY IRISH in the Jamaica Lottery Company 2-Y-O Stakes last Boxing Day, is the top rated 3-y-o filly in training at present.
She has headed in the right direction since winning the Thornbird Stakes and with a mile right up her street, it will take a smart performance to lower her colours today. LATONIA has the pace to race in touch of the expected leaders SEATTLE SUE and EMMVEEPEE and the necessary turn of foot to put away rivals in the drive for home.
Also on the 12-race programme, which offers big carryovers in both the Super-6 ($1.2 million) and Pick-9 ($631,499.90), is the 3-y-o and upgraded stakes for the Legal Light Trophy over the circular course to be contested by five starters, including top stayer ROYAL RUN who is a firm fancy to win from HERECOMESFUDGIE despite topweight of 57.0klg.
I also like IDITAROD to catch REJECT in the 2nd, classy EPICTATUS to repeat in the 5th, MOST WANTED in the 6th and MOLTEN LAVA in the 10th.
