By Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter 
ROYAL SEA races to an easy win with apprentice Paul Francis in Division Two of last Saturday's 1000-metre straight Eight Thirty Sprint at Caymanas Park. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
CRUISING ALTITUDE looks hard to beat in this weekend's inaugural Bob Marley Memorial feature race at a mile under Trinidadian jockey Brian Harding.
Scratched sick with a rash when he should have lined up among Overnight Allowance company in the 11-furlong New Year's Day Trophy, the four-year-old colt has been reported fighting fit by trainer Anthony Nunes, who has said he would be dissappointed if his charge doesn't notch his third straight win.
After a disappointing return from a five-month lay-up in November, beaten at 1200 metres by Percy Hussey's EASTERN LIGHT, CRUISING ALTITUDE posted back-to-back wins at 1820 metres in December, slamming non-winners-of-three by 12 lengths in his last race.
An ante-post favourite for the New Year's Day Trophy, ALTITUDE was scratched race morning but has worked well since and looks set to stamp his authority on non-winners-of-four.
"He's all right, working good, just being his usual self," Nunes assured Thursday. "I expect him to win. I believe he's an Overnight Allowance horse or even better."
STARTING THE CHESTNUT
Explaining CRUISING ALTITUDE'S illness last month, Nunes said he
decided against starting the chestnut colt to be on the safe side. Nunes' other runner in the event, UNLEADED, won a driving finish at odds of 5-1, out batting MILLIMETRE and former stablemate UNTOUCHABLE.
"He had a rash, woke up the day before the race with it and still had it race morning," he explained. "It was 11 furlongs and I didn't want to race him ... stress him too much and lose him for a couple months."
Summing up the opposition, Nunes believes Hussey's LOCHNESS DRAGON, drawn along the rail at post position one, could be CRUISING ALTITUDE's main threat along with Roy Shields' RISTO-CAT, who ran a big race against repeat winner HEARTOFAMAVERICK at 1300 metres on New Year's Day.
"I saw LOCHNESS DRAGON this morning and he looked well but if CRUISING ALTITUDE doesn't win I would be disappointed," he pointed out.
Nunes said CRUISING ALTITUDE doesn't like to be rushed off his legs down the backstretch but believes he'll be okay at a mile.
"He certainly won't win by 17 and 12 lengths like when he's going nine furlongs, and 23 but I think he'll be fine."
CRUISING ALTITUDE has looked in good nick at exercise, galloping seven furlongs easily in 1:29.2 last week Wednesday morning and returned Monday to post 1:00.3 for five furlongs round. LOCHNESS DRAGON didn't look all that hot in clocking 1:31.3 for seven furlongs Saturday morning and had faded badly out of contention leaving the half-mile in the New Year's Day Trophy.
RISTO-CAT ran a big race against HEARTOFAMAVERICK, leading to the final furlong and showed lots of spunk when trying to rally against the improved chestnut gelding. He also performed creditably in his previous race at a mile, finishing six-and-three-quarter lengths fifth behind TOUCHTHEPOWER, UNLEADED and CHOSEN ONE.
He has also worked well - 1:31.2 easily for seven last Saturday morning and looks to be CRUISING ALTITUDE'S only danger.
