By Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter 
CELEBRATION TIME (left, Andron Findley) scores a half-length victory over CARTER WONG (Howard Newell) in the Mercury Sprint for three-year-old colts at Caymanas Park last Saturday. - Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
TRAINER Wayne DaCosta's CLOCK WORK heads a small, but decent field of Overnight Allow-ance horses down to vie for the midweek Ash Wednesday Trophy over 1300 metres.
The odd runner in the six-horse line-up is Delroy Waugh's LADY SHAKEERA, who is hopelessly outclassed by the principals, even though carrying only 48.0 kilos with Anthony Baker aboard.
Hunting back-to-back wins after outbattling Philip Feanny's QUIET STRENGTH at 1,400 metres mid-December, CLOCK WORK returns razor sharp and working like a well-oiled machine in the mornings.
Last Friday morning the three-year-old American-bred colt blasted five and a half furlong in 1:05, and three-fifths of a second behind a five-furlong split of 59.3, an eye-popping gallop after beating his stablemate, LIL' COUNTRY BOY, at the distance two Sundays prior.
LOOKED IMPROVED
In winning his last race, CLOCK WORK really looked improved, chasing QUIET STRENGTH off the lead in a six-furlong split of 1:12.3, and held his gallop nicely inside the final furlong, finishing in 1:26.3.
Veteran Charles Hussey replaces champion jockey Trevor Simpson aboard the colt, who'll be out for the first time this season, hunting his third win from six starts. Simpson will be out of the saddle for a couple days, having not completed the renewal of his jockey's licence.
On form, Richard Azan's BANJUHAR looks likely to chase home CLOCK WORK. Azan has decked Shane Ellis in favour of champion non-claiming apprentice Paul Francis.
TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
Ellis got into one too many traffic problems aboard BANJUHAR when beaten a length by HEARTOFAMAVERICK mid-December, and Azan apparently has decided to reunite Francis with the five-year-old gelding aboard, whom he stormed to a three-length win at 1,300 metres in his previous race.
Trainer Anthony Nunes' ZICKWARTY again disappointed two Saturdays ago, finishing ninth of 16 behind FLYING TIGER's track record 1,000-metre straight run.
Roundly expected to bounce back to winning ways in that event after flopping as a 2-5 favourite at 1100 metres behind CRUCIAL PRINCE three weeks earlier, the American colt, badly let down his backers and can hardly be trusted a third time around even though Nunes has added the blinkers to his runner's arsenal.
Other firm fancies for the day are IRISH CREAM to give jockey Francis a winning start in the first, STATE PRINCE in the second, RED DRAGON in the sixth, and MR VIGOROUS to follow last Saturday's win, by providing apprentice Jason Bowlar with his first career victory.
