COLTRANE ... the mount of four-time champion jockey, Charles Hussey..
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
All roads lead to Caymanas Park today for the season's first classics, the 1000 and 2000 Guineas for native bred three-year-old fillies and colts respectively over 1600 metres.
Both races offer total purses of $2.25 million but despite this the races are being run without a sponsor for the first time in five years.
In the past three weeks, a decision was taken by Track Price Plus to withdraw its sponsorship package which reportedly cost the bookmaking company in the region of $2 million each year, this arising from a rights fee dispute with the promoters, Caymanas Track Limited (CTL).
Since 2000, Track Price has not only contributed significantly to the purses of both classics, but has spent substantial sums of money on promoting Guineas Day each year, including the annual Guineas sweepstakes with cash prizes of $250,000, give-aways at the track and advertising.
lucrative purse money
Given insufficient time to find a new sponsor, CTL has put up the lucrative purse money for both classics, with the winning owner of each receiving $1.2 million.
Turning to the races, the 1000 Guineas has attracted eight fillies, including the hot ante-post favourite SI MI TRIAL, who is unbeaten in three starts.
Trained by former champion Wayne DaCosta, SI MI TRIAL has done everything asked of her this season, winning the Hot Line Stakes over 1200 metres on her February 19 seasonal debut and following up four weeks later in the Thornbird Stakes (Guineas Trial) over 1400 metres, both in impressive fashion with four-time champion Charles Hussey aboard.
Although bred for sprint and middle distances, she being by Crucial Trial out of the Mr. Nutcracker mare Bonsai, SI MI TRIAL has so much class that the additional 200 metres of the Guineas is not expected to pose a problem.
burning up the track
Indeed, she has been burning up the track at exercise in preparation for this big assignment, galloping five furlongs from the gate on March 22 in an eye popping 59.0, behind a half-mile split of 45.3.
She subsequently breezed 5-1/2 furlongs in 1:07.4 Monday morning last and with her preparation complete, it will take a brave punter to oppose her in present frame of mind as she has tremendous scope.
The battle for the minor placings should prove an interesting tussle among the Philip Feanny-trained pair of VICTORIA and ALL FOR PLEASURE, HAIL THE I and the lightly raced but improving LADY CHACHI.
The Howard Jaghai-trained LADY CHACHI won well over 1300 metres on March 19 and although she strikes me as more of an Oaks type, could still prove second best with leading all-time classic winning jockey Winston Griffifths in the saddle.
2000 guineas
While the 1000 Guineas looks clear cut for SI MI TRIAL, the 2000 Guineas, to be contested by 11 starters, should provide an intriguing contest among three very talented colts KAMIR, stable-companion COLTRANE and MIRACLE MAN.
When all three last met over the distance in the Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-y-o Stakes on Boxing Day, Richard Azan's KAMIR with Griffiths up made all the running to win by a length from the fast-finishing MIRACLE MAN with the then favourite COLTRANE finishing 1-3/4 lengths away third under Shane Ellis.
Both KAMIR and MIRACLE MAN have chalked up impressive wins in subsequent races this season.
The speedy KAMIR romped the recent Prince Consort Trial Stakes over 1400 metres in the smart time of 1:25.0, winning by six lengths from AD INFINITUM and ESTOY LISTO behind splits of 23.3, 46.4, while MIRACLE MAN looked awesome on his February 26 reappearance with a fast time runaway win over 1600 metres, covering the distance in the fast time of 1:38.1.
looked well at exercise
COLTRANE, who races for the first time since Boxing Day, has been gelded in the interim but despite this, has looked well at exercise and is coming to run with Hussey astride.
The Royal Minister-Ebony Fire offspring, who won five of his seven races as a two-year-old, finished heads on with KAMIR in a recent seven-furlong gallop, both timed in 1:27.3. But while he was ridden out, KAMIR looked more relaxed and I expect KAMIR to maintain his superiority with Griffiths again in the saddle.
MIRACLE MAN, however, will be coming to test KAMIR to the hilt. The lightly-raced chestnut colt by Law Of The Sea-Hya from the stables of 'Hall of Fame' trainer Billy Williams has caught the eye in his preparation and given his fine turn of foot, looks best equipped to carry the fight to KAMIR once again.
Significantly, MIRACLE MAN is slated to be ridden by champion jockey Trevor Simpson, replacing the colt?s customary rider Allen Maragh who has been sidelined by injury.
Maragh was hurt when a horse stepped on his right instep at exercise last Monday morning and although he proceeded to ride with a bandaged ankle later that day, actually winning aboard CHOO CHOO CHOO, it was discovered that the ankle had been broken. As a result he will be out for over a month.
The speed and class of KAMIR should be a decisive factor and based on his blazing 1:25.0 in the recent trial, should be good enough to hold MIRACLE MAN at bay.
Other firm fancies on the card are Miracle Man's half brother HERECOMESFUDGIE, a recent winner, to upstage old rival GOOD COMPANY again in the Legal Light Trophy graded stakes over 1820 metres, BADBOYBIN to stop SIR CHACHA BABA in the third, JACK SPARROW in the fourth, SAMFIE to tag APACHE BRAVE in the sixth and BATTLEOX ahead of HEARTOFAMAVERICK and BANJOHAR in the eighth race for overnight allowance horses.
