Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
TOO HOT TO TROT (Douglas Badaloo) poses in the winners' enclosure with connections, including owner/trainer Lawrence Freemantle (centre) after his runaway victory in the fifth race for $150,000 claimers over 1700 metres at Caymanas Park, last Wednesday. He won at odds of 5-2. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
OPEN ALLOWANCE horses take centre stage at Caymanas Park today when six face the starter in the Nigel B. Nunes Memorial Trophy over the circular nine course, a race which should provide the down-in-class HERECOMESFUDGIE with an overdue win.
The 2003 Governor's Cup, St. Leger and Gold Cup winner takes on five opponents, including the 2003 Superstakes winner PITTACUS and consistent COURT CASE, the trio from which the winner should emerge.
It would be fitting to see trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes posting PITTACUS to victory in this particular race, which is run in memory of his father, who was champion trainer in 1976.
PITTACUS is a worthy contender for top honours, having won three of his last five races with title-chasing stable jockey, Brian Harding aboard.
The five-year-old bay gelding by Pat N' Jac out of Vicegerent failed in his bid for the hat-trick on August 13, running below par as the even-money favourite in the BG&LC Trophy race over 1400 metres with Charles Hussey aboard.
Toting customary topweight of 57kg that day, PITTACUS finished 7 1/2 lengths fourth, beaten by FORMALLY GOLD and THE MINISTER, two horses he beat decisively in a race prior to that on July 9.
Having moved sweetly at exercise in preparation for this trophy, PITTACUS, with Harding back in the saddle, is expected to rebound and fight out the finish.
Preference, however, is for HERECOMESFUDIE, to be ridden by champion jockey Trevor Simpson for champion trainer Philip Feanny.
It is instructive to recall that the last time 'FUDGIE' and PITTACUS met in the UBA Gold Cup over 1400 metres in December 2003, HERECOMESFUDGIE held on to beat him in a driving finish.
Both have declined somewhat in ability since, but in fairness to HERECOMESFUDGIE, the 5-y-o son of Law Of The Sea Hya has been running consistently in graded stakes company and getting creamed by his illustrious stable companions, A KING IS BORN and DISTINCTLY IRISH.
Still, he has managed to finish fairly close in a few of these races, notably his 3 1/2 lengths fourth to DISTINCTLY IRISH and A KING IS BORN in the valuable Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes over 1300 metres on June 4.
FUDGIE underlined his current well-being on August 6 when finishing third to DISTINCTLY IRISH in the Prime Minister's Stakes over 2000 metres, a race in which he passed the furlong pole in second and only lost that position to the fast-finishing GOOD COMPANY on the line.
Feanny has taken HERECOMESFUDGIE to task at exercise in preparation for today's encounter and none will report fitter.
Despite the sound claims of PITTACUS (who gives him 2kg) and the Ken Mattis-trained COURT CASE who has run creditably in stakes company in recent months, notably his three lengths third to DISTINCTLY IRISH in the 'Digicel' and close third to A KING IS BORN in the Chairman's Trophy over 1500 metres, I doubt either can beat a fit FUDGIE going two turns.
Also on the card are the Keeling Memorial Cup over 1100 metres for native bred two-year-olds featuring an interesting clash between the Feanny-trained MINISTER ON FIRE and Wayne DaCosta's BULLET TRAIN, both unbeaten, and the Ossie Steele Memorial Cup over 1200 metres, which could come down to a straight fight between DR. R.S.F. and RED BOOTLACES.
MINISTER ON FIRE beat a field of winners so easily on the last occasion that he is given the nod over BULLET TRAIN who has looked razor sharp at exercise. DR. R.S.F. has been running fairly consistently over varied distances and should be good enough to stave off RED BOOTLACES and TROPICAL STORM.
Other firm fancies on the card are OVER DRAFT to win the first race, CHAMPAGNE AND GOLD to upstage RISING MOON in the seventh and MYBLUBELLE to catch LADY SHALIMAR and FIASCO in the closing race over the circular nine course.
