- RICARDO MAKYN/Staff Photographer
PRINCESS ARIZONA is pushed out by in-form apprentice Marklee Buchanan to win the seventh race for the St. Catherine South Police Division Trophy sponsored by McKay Security & Consultants Limited at Caymanas Park on New Year's Day. The race was contested by $170,000 and less claimers over the circular nine course.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
HORSES FROM the $320,000 to $280,000 claiming spread are down to contest the annual renewal of the Millard Ziadie Cup over 1100 metres at Caymanas Park today.
The well supported 10-race programme commences at noon.
With a competitive looking field of 13 slated for the feature, it promises to be a truly run race from the word go. Speed is strongly represented by KINKOTSU LIU LIU, THE BARBARIAN, JACK EM UP and Gary Subratie's VALID REASON who scored a stunning upset (34-1) over this trip when last raced on December 8 and cannot be underestimated.
The Barrington Rambally-trained KINKOTSU LIU LIU has never been led in his past six races and he topped this off with a decisive win over the round five course on December 15, holding on by a length from the fast-finishing FROMAJACKTOAKING.
While KINKOTSU LIU LIU will have to be caught with bustling lightweight jockey Leo Miller in the saddle, FROMAJACKTOAKING is weighted to turn the tables on 4kg better terms, especially over the additional 100 metres of this race.
UP A NOTCH
Trained by Gresford Smith, FROMAJACKTOAKING is up a notch to vie for this trophy, but this should not deter the seven-year-old son of Liver Stand who finished first in a dead-heat with RED BOOTLACES over the distance in June of last year on a $350,000 claiming tag.
FROMAJACKTOAKING was then ridden by apprentice Paul 'Country' Francis who is reunited with the consistent campaigner for this race. Coming back well drawn at post position 12, he can prove equal to the task from the convenient mark of 50.0kg.
I am expecting FROMAJACKTOAKING to race just off the early pace before mounting his challenge leaving the furlong pole. He will only go down fighting.
Preference, however, is for THE REAL KING, despite the fact that he will be racing for the first since August 28.
The four-year-old gelding, who hails from the stables of in-form trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes, has been looking up at exercise in preparation for this trophy and on past performances, will not go down easily from the lenient mark of 51kg and competent claiming apprentice Patrick Henry Jr. at the helm.
THE REAL KING more than held his own in good three-year-old company last season, finishing a creditable third to GOOD TO GO in a fast-run 1200 metre race on August 28.
BACK-TO-BACK WINS
Prior to that the son of Al's River Cat-Bold Queen scored back-to-back wins in August, firstly when slamming RISTO-CAT by 10 lengths over the straight five course and coming back a week later to catch the Feanny-trained SEATTLE SUE and subsequent winner SEGA over today's trip in the fairly good time of 1:07.2.
Providing THE REAL KING is fit enough to do himself justice, and there is every indication that he is, victory should be his for the taking.
He has the necessary pace to race in close touch and pick off rivals in the straight, but FROMAJACKTOAKING could run him close.
Other firm fancies on the card are the impressive imported colt ZICKWARTY to repeat in the third race, QUIET STRENGTH to go one better in the fourth, LE CHIC to catch ROBICON and POWERFUL BELLE in the fifth, DRAW CARD to repeat at the expense of HENRIETTA MARIA in the seventh and MR. DUNN to upstage INSTRUMETHAL and THAT'S GOLD in the knotty eighth race over the straight five course.
