TOCUMEN
(centre), ridden by Paul Ramsay, holds off 2-1 favourite BROTHER DANIEL (left) under the apprentice Andron Findley to win the Cecil C. Charlton Trophy (claiming $390,000 $330,000) over 1200 metres at Caymanas Park last Saturday. Offering odds of 6-1, TOCUMEN is owned and trained by Glenville Morrissey.
-Ian Allen photo
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
FOURTEEN overnight allowance horses are slated to contest the fifth running of the RJR Classic over 1500 metres at Caymanas Park today.
This being the annual RJR Corporate Raceday, the day will also facilitate the annual Golden Mircophone Awards under the infield tent and varied activities, including, a Popular Hat contest and entertainment by Black Ellis,
Maria Myrie and Friends and
the up and coming singing
group Inque.
The Golden Microphone awards will be presented to the top RJR Advertiser along with the top Advertising Agency. Last year the awards went to Red Stripe and CGR Communications, respectively.
Turning to the Classic, one cannot help noticing that champion trainer Wayne DaCosta is going all out to win the race for the second straight year, as he saddles as many as five of the 14 starters GOOD COMPANY, FORMALLY GOLD, BLACK THATCH, MEDIC ON BOARD and LADY KAYLA.
On their best form any is capable of fighting out the finish, but the ones most likely to be around at the end are GOOD COMPANY and the American-bred fillies FORMALLY GOLD and LADY KAYLA, all of whom have worked well.
NO WALK
However, it will be no walk in the park. All three can expect stiff opposition from the consistent American-bred three-year-old colt CAPTAIN BONE, to be ridden by leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths for leading trainer Philip Feanny, the Percy Hussey-trained PEACE & LOVE (Charles Hussey up), who is coming off a recent win over CAPTAIN BONE at 1700 metres, as well as the speedy American filly ZAMA and BANJUHAR, who should
be coming on strongly at
the finish.
ZAMA, the mount of title-chasing jockey Shane Ellis, holds pride of place at the top of the scales with 57.0kg but this will not deter the fleet-footed filly from the stables of Dwight Chen. She made all for an upset victory over a mile on June 12, holding on by half-a-length from the fast-finishing CAPTAIN BONE with LADY KAYLA another two lengths away third.
Next time out on July 26, ZAMA was brave in defeat. She led at a fast clip under top weight of 57.0kg before giving way in the closing stages to
old rival CAPTAIN BONE, who in turn was caught close home by a fast-finishing PEACE & LOVE with Charles Hussey up.
ZAMA finished a respectable third (beaten two lengths) and although again, asked to carry top weight, she will prove much harder to catch with a furlong less to travel. She
has looked razor sharp at exercise in preparation for this
race and can definitely hold them at bay.
At the weights, FORMALLY GOLD (53.0kg) is expected to fight out the finish, based on her good second-place finishes to JOHNNY KING and BANJUHAR in separate outings when last raced in May.
She has not only been taken to task by DaCosta at exercise but will return on Lasix for the first time as well, a move that could well have the desired effect, in much the same way it did for LIL' COUNTRY BOY and more recently RUN PAPA RUN in the St. Leger.
WINNING RUN
Although not really a boy's ride, if the apprentice can get his act together aboard FORMALLY GOLD, a winning
run could well be on the
cards. Still, my preference is
for stable-companion GOOD COMPANY.
Simpson obviously had the choice of rides and the fact that he has elected to partner GOOD COMPANY is saying a lot for his chances.
The stretch running four-year-old gelding wasn't disgraced when finishing a fair fourth to stable-companion LIL'COUNTRY BOY in the Eileen Cliggott Trophy over 1300 metres on June 26 in the company of top class horses. And prior to that he raced prominently for a long way when finishing fifth to the classy American filly INTERNET COMMANDER over today's trip in the fast-run Chairman's Trophy, again in top-class company.
Also before those races, GOOD COMPANY beat a good field over 1300 metres in the run for the Frankie Frazer Memorial Cup and having caught the eye at exercise,
his final rattle should prove hard to withstand. I take him
to catch ZAMA, FORMALLY GOLD and CAPTAIN BONE in the crucial stages of
the race.
Other firm fancies on the card are the well forward debutante ALL FOR PLEASURE in the third race for the Lester Spaulding Gold Cup for two-year-olds, FLYING TIGER in the fourth, NO TEAR in the fifth, CHOSEN ONE in the seventh and COMMON 'D' in the eighth.
