Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer
Harding ... rides Sit O.
THE 11-RACE programme which should have been run at Caymanas Park last Saturday but was postponed due to the threat of Hurricane Emily, is on at the park today. Post time remains the same at noon.
The non-trophy feature is the three-year-old and up overnight allowance race over 1500 metres. Originally, this should have been the sixth running of the RJR Classic. However, with the RJR Communications Group deciding last Thursday to suspend its sponsorship for the entire raceday due to the approaching hurricane, it will be run without the benefit of a sponsor.
DECREASED PURSE
As a result, the purse has been decreased from $550,000 to $390,000, the normal purse for a non-sponsored overnight allowance race. The RJR Corporate raceday has been postponed until Saturday, July 30.
Significantly, this meet replaces the mid-week meet originally scheduled for today, which features the Harry Rigg Memorial Cup over 1400 metres.
According to CTL's racing secretary, Denzil Miller Jr., that meet has been pushed back to Wednesday, September 14, on the racing calendar.
Nine overnight horses have been declared for the feature and from the look of things, the competition promises to be keen.
It is interesting to note that four of them are American-bred fillies - SWEET SOUTHERNGAL, SIT O, SPANISH SECRETS and SEATTLE'S GIRL who bids for a hat-trick of wins with champion jockey Trevor Simpson again in the saddle.
All four have been taken to task at exercise in preparation for what should have been the RJR Classic, and along with the local bred horses, SATISFIER and SHOW N'TELL, should ensure a closely-contested race.
Champion trainer Philip Feanny holds a fairly decent hand with SWEET SOUTHERNGAL and SATISFIER, both of whom will get the distance.
SATISFIER finished a fair fifth to PITTACUS in open allowance company over today's trip on July 9 and now down to overnight company, is poised to get significantly closer.
Still, Feanny's main hopes appear to rest with SWEET SOUTHERNGAL who is yet to win from four starts locally.
The three-year-old chestnut filly by Sweetsouthernsaint out of Apache Pines has been stepped up at exercise by Feanny, galloping six furlongs in a smart 1:12.3 on Sunday morning last.
With her preparation complete, SWEET SOUTHERNGAL should come into her own and make it close from the convenient mark of 51.5kg and in-form lightweight jockey Wesley Henry aboard.
SPEEDY FILLY
Trainer Dwight Chen, who won the RJR Classic with ZAMA last year, saddles another American filly SEATLLE'S GIRL who heads the handicaps with 57.0kg in a bid for the hat-trick. This speedy daughter of SEATTLE PATTERN-AIN'T MY BAG won the Motorolla Trophy over 1200 metres in decisive fashion on June 4 and despite the weight, should make a brave bid from in front.
Bang in-form trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes mounts a two-pronged challenge comprising UNLEADED and SIT-0, both well prepared.
While UNLEADED could make a race of it on his best form, preference is for SIT-O, the mount of title-chasing stable jockey Brian Harding.
SIT-O showed marked improvement when closing rapidly for second behind stable-companion PITTACUS over 1400 metres in the L.C. McKenzie Memorial Trophy and with PITTACUS coming back to slam a good field of open allowance horses over 1500 metres last Saturday, this speaks volumes for her chances.
Indeed, she was caught in a pleasing exercise gallop last Monday morning when coming 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:07.2 with Harding up.
With the additional 100 metres right up her street, SIT-O whose sire Crafty Friend has produced winners like CLOCK WORK and ZICKWARTY in recent months, now has a glorious opportunity to supplement her March 2 maiden win over 1300 metres. She returns on the convenient mark of 52.5kg and her final rattle should prove hard to withstand.
Other firm fancies on the card are CRIMSON MAGIC to catch SWEET JADE in the first race over the circular nine course, MEDICAL REPORT over GOINGTOKANSACITY in the second over the straight, JUST SOME THOUGHTS in the fourth, LADY CHACHI to stave off CHARRITO in the eighth and ROOM FORTYNINE in
the ninth.
