Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterA MAXIMUM field of 16 is down to contest the sixth running of the RJR Classic overnight allowance feature at Caymanas Park today and what a race it promises to be.
Offering an increased purse of $550,000 (up from $390,000), the race, which had to be rescheduled from its original date of July 16 owing to the threat of Hurricane Emily, sees one significant change in format. The distance has been increased from 1500 metres to 1800 metres as CAL was unable to offer another 1500-metre race so soon after on its schedule.
In a way, this has been a blessing in disguise as a large and competitive field has shown up for the party, as against nine for the postponed race on July 16.
The RJR Corporate Raceday will be in full swing today with all its related activities intact. These include the annual Advertisers' Awards for the golden and silver microphones under the infield tent, a wine and cheese fiesta, kiddies stables and an entertainment package featuring Kiprich and Spice, among others.
LEADING LIGHTS
Leading lights in the RJR Classic are SIT O, to be ridden by title-chasing jockey Brian Harding for in-form trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes, the front-running American filly EXPLOSIVE PEAK, who bids for a hat-trick of wins with former champion jockey Wesley Henry again riding for trainer Peter McMaster, as well as the Philip Feanny-trained SATISFIER, stable companion SWEET SOUTHERNGAL under champion jockey Trevor Simpson, Gary Subratie's PRECOCIOUS MISS D, Wayne DaCosta's GIRL IN GOLD with in-form Charles Hussey in the saddle and the Paul Fung-trained SHOW N'TELL, who looks nicely in with 51kg and apprentice Dal Brown aboard.
I am expecting a truly competitively run race with the likes of EXPLOSIVE PEAK, DEAR-DREAMER and PRECOCIOUS MISS D, all noted frontrunners, coming to make things pretty hot.
Not far behind will be the well trained imported filly SWEET SOUTHERNGAL (taken to task at exercise) and the improving American filly GIRL IN GOLD who looked the part when scoring over 1400 metres in a fast-time (1:25.3) on July 20.
McMaster has high hopes for EXPLOSIVE PEAK who has headed in the right direction in recent months following earlier disappointments. She faces her sternest test in a bid for the hat-trick, but McMaster says she is bred to get a distance of ground and if able to poach a good lead leaving the half mile, could prove difficult to overhaul up the lane.
Feanny holds a fairly strong hand with SWEET SOUTHERNGAL and SATISFIER who was brave in defeat when closing strongly to get within a length of SEATTLE'S GIRL over 1500 metres. Despite having to carry top weight of 57kg, SATISFIER will relish the additional 300 metres and will only go down fighting. At the weights, SHOW N' TELL who ran the progressive JUST SOME THOUGHTS to half a length in a fast-run one mile race on June 6, is back with a squeak on the strength of that performance and is sure to make the Hi-five.
BEGGING FOR DISTANCE
The one I like best, however, is SIT O who seems to be begging for a distance such as this. Outpaced on the last occasion, SIT O was just beginning to find her legs when beaten into third place by SEATTLE'S GIRL over 1500 metres recently. And prior to that, she was a fast-finishing second to bang in-form stable-companion PITTACUS in a fast-run (1.25.4) 1400-metre race.
Still, she has managed two wins over shorter distances but really wants it longer in my book and her final rattle should prove hard to withstand.
SIT O continues to please in her preparation and with the race expected to be run at a brisk early pace, it should come back to her in the closing stages. GIRL IN GOLD, SATISFIER, SWEET SOUTHERNGAL and SHOW N' TELL should complete the Hi-five.
Other form fancies on the mammoth 12-race programme are the well forward DATING in the Lester Spaulding Gold Cup for two-year-olds, AD INFINITUM in the third, KERMIT in the fifth, FACING FAME in the eighth and STRAIGHTOTHEHEART over AFFIRMATION and VISIONARY in the nightpan, race No. 1 in the second CTL Claiming series.
