- File
Distinctly Irish and Winston Griffiths ... well set for another Classic win.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
NINE NATIVE bred three-year-olds go for their once in a lifetime shot at Derby glory today when they contest the 84th running of the Red Stripe Jamaica Derby over 2400 metres at Caymanas Park.
The 12-race programme commences at 11:30 a.m. 30 minutes earlier than usual.
Once again a bumper crowd is expected at the track, not only to watch the Derby, which offers an increased purse of $4 million, but the $1.25 million Red Stripe Dash for native bred three-year-olds over 1200 metres and the $650,000 Red Stripe Cradle Stakes for native bred two-year-olds over 800 metres straight.
TOP HORSES
Also on the card is the $775,000 Chairman's Trophy over 1500 metres for top horses to be contested by eight starters, including METEOR MAN, who has won this race for the past two years.
METEOR MAN, however, will be hard pressed to complete the hat-trick in the face of stiff opposition from topweight I'MSATISFIED, ROYAL RUN, HERECOMESFUDGIE, Superstakes winner PITTACUS and not least, the talented American 3-y-o filly INTERNET COMMANDER, who takes on the top class for the first time after winning her last three races convincingly.
MERE FORMALITY
Turning to the Derby, the response to the build-up of the race has been lukewarm at best, owing to the fact that victory looks a mere formality for the brilliant unbeaten DISTINCTLY IRISH, to be ridden by leading all-time classic winning jockey Winston Griffiths for 13-time champion trainer Philip Feanny, owner Hamark Farms (Howard Hamilton) and noted breeder Ken Gooden.
Significantly, all are the same connections of last year's winner, A KING IS BORN, who is a half brother to DISTINCTLY IRISH, both being out of the 1990 One Thousand Guineas and Derby winner DISTINCTLY NATIVE.
With DISTINCTLY IRISH expected to start a short-priced favourite, having done everything asked of him, it is difficult to make a case for the best of the others the 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner LATONIA (Shane Ellis up), RUN PAPA RUN (champion jockey Trevor Simpson) who went wire to wire in the May 15 Lotto Classic for the Governor's Cup over 2000 metres, the Lotto Classic and 2000 Guineas runner-up GOOD TO GO (Allen Maragh) and the lightly raced LOCHNESS DRAGON (Charles Hussey), who was third in the Lotto Classic.
While the front running RUN PAPA RUN could have stamina limitations going 2400 metres, the trio of LATONIA, LOCHNESS DRAGON and especially the Kevin Mattis-trained GOOD TO GO should have no problems staying the distance.
But only in the event of DISTINCTLY IRISH having an off day would I look to that quartet for the winner. The bay gelding by Irish Quest out of the 1990 Derby winner Distinctly Native suffered a recent setback in his preparation (bled) and has been administered lasix for the first time as a result.
Trainer Feanny alluded to a "minor setback" in a recent interview. "But he has recovered alright and is training well," he added.
Although not having the benefit of a recent prep race, DISTINCTLY IRISH has really been setting the track alight at exercise, galloping seven furlongs in 1:26.0 on one occasion, the last six in an eye-popping 1:11.4. And last Sunday morning he looked really well when galloping a mile in 1:42.1, beating stable-companion HERECOMSFUDGIE.
In winning five races from as many starts, DISTINCTLY IRISH has looked in a different league from his age group rivals. One only has to recall his 9 1/2-length victory over GOOD TO GO and company in the 2000 Guineas on April 3 when clocking a brisk 1:39.2 for a mile, compared to LATONIA's 1:41.3 in the 1000 Guineas earlier on the programme, to realise how classy he is.
With the Derby distance no problem, DISTINCTLY IRISH is confidently expected to follow in the hoofsteps of his dam (Distinctly Native) and half brother (A King Is Born) and romp the event, enabling his owner to make history, he being the first to win back to back Derbies.DERBY WINVictory for DISTINCTLY IRISH would enable both Griffiths and Feanny to tick off their 10th Derby win, seven of these as a team.GOOD TO GO, who packs a powerful finish and seems to be begging for the Derby distance, looks second best in my book.
This smallish colt by Footloose out of the Airgator mare French Lyne should close rapidly into the runner-up slot ahead of LOCHNESS DRAGON in third.
Other firm fancies on the programme are BATTLEOX, who bypassed the Derby to win the Red Stripe Dash, INTERNET COMMANDER over ROYAL RUN in the Chairman's Trophy, TOUCH THE POWER in the fifth, JERICHO in the eighth and BLACK THATCH in the closing race for overnight allowance horses.
