- File
LATONIA (Shane Ellis) winning the Track Price Plus 1000 Guineas on April 3, 2004.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
NATIVE-BRED three-year-old fillies hold centre stage at Caymanas Park today in the 65th running of the Courts Jamaica Oaks over 2000 metres, the season's third classic.
At stake is an increased purse of $2.5 million and the Hilma Veira Trophy in memory of the late general manager of the Jamaica Racing Commission.
The race is being sponsored for the fifth consecutive year by Courts Jamaica Limited who has put up $2 million towards the day's activities, including $400,000 to the purse of the Oaks.
Oaks Day being 'Ladies Day', Courts in association with CTL will honour 10 women who have distinguished themselves in the tourism and the hospitality industry, the list includes former director of tourism, Faye Pickersgill and Carrole Guntley.
Courts will host members of the media under the tent on the infield as well, while entertainment will be provided by vintage singers John Holt and Alton Ellis throughout the meet which starts at noon.
The Oaks has attracted nine fillies, including LATONIA who by virtue of her easy victory in the April 3 Track Price Plus 1000 Guineas, is a hot favourite to follow up and rightly so.
With leading jockey Shane Ellis again at the helm, the bay filly from the stables of Anthony 'Baba' Nunes looks a cut above her contemporaries at this stage and despite stepping up to 10 furlongs, will find the distance no obstacle, she being by Footloose out of the Wise Emissary mare Private Number.
Having looked razor sharp at exercise in a six-furlong gallop last Sunday morning, LATONIA looks hard to oppose in what amounts to the same field she thrashed in the Guineas, save for SEGA.
Among her rivals are the Guineas runner-up SLEW DANCER with apprentice Oneil Mullings riding for trainer Percy Hussey, the Guineas third FLYWITHME and the fourth horse, HENRIETTA MARIA who reports on Lasix for the first time. Also in the lineup is the Hussey-trained SEGA who was declared to run in the Guineas but went lame prior to the race and was a late scratch.
It is interesting to note that jockey Charles Hussey, who had the choice of rides, has elected to stay with SEGA who though soundly beaten in fourth by LATONIA in the Thornbird Stakes over 1400 metres on March 13, reports well trained. With the figure eight now fitted and stable confidence seemingly behind her, SEGA could have an impact on the outcome.
BEST EQUIPPED
Still, the one best equipped to chase home LATONIA is the improving SLEW DANCER, who was staying on well from off the pace on the inside rails in the Guineas to be beaten five lengths second. This bay filly by Joeslew out of Help Yourself has also trained well and should welcome the longer distance. But she will need to make significant overnight improvement in order to get back to LATONIA at this stage.
LATONIA, owned by the Barbadian Elias Haloute, to win from SLEW DANCER, SEGA and HENRIETTA MARIA is my idea of the outcome.
I am expecting LATONIA to race in close touch of the expected leader SEATTLE SUE before going through from the half mile and keeping on strongly up the lane to win from SLEW DANCER.
Also on the 12-race programme is the Lady Geeta Trophy to be contested by five top-class horses over 1200 metres. Among the starters is last year's winner MILLIMETRE who is winless since May of last year, his illustrious stable companion I'MSATISFIED and the fleet-footed imported colt LIL' COUNTRY BOY won't be easily caught in this small field.
It promises to be a battle royal between the Wayne DaCosta-trained LIL' COUNTRY BOY and I'MSATISFIED from the stables of Philip Feanny, first and second respectively when they last met over the distance in the Arthur Jones Cup on March 20. Only 1 1/2 lengths separated them at the finish, but I fancy LIL' COUNTRY BOY to maintain his superiority, even on 2kg worse terms.
Other firm fancies on the programme, which offers two Super-6s the first boasting a $1.1 million carryover, are HAPHAZARD in the first race, PRIME FURY to go all the way in the second, SUPREMELYSATISFIED to do likewise in the third, LADY LAMMTARRA in the eighth, ZICKWARTY to upstage INTERNET COMMANDER in the ninth and ROYAL GUARD to go all the way at the expense of STRAIGHTTOTHEHEART in the 10th.
