Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
LADY ISIS, No.3 and ridden by Dalton Brown, on her way to victory in the Paul Newman Memorial Trophy last December. She is favoured to win today's feature, the Mortimer 'Morty' Heron Memorial Cup, with Oneil Mullings aboard. - FILE
THE ANNUAL run for the Mortimer 'Morty' Heron Memorial Cup over the circular nine course is today's mid-week feature at Caymanas Park.
Nine horses from the $240,000 - $210,000 claiming spread have been declared and from the look of things, the competition should be keen.
Looking at the form of the runners, the ones expected to figure are the recent winner NAVIGATOR, the horse he beat narrowly over a mile on February 25, NIJINSKY'S WAR, as well as the consistent ISLAND CIGAR who is holding his form fairly well, SIR KNIGHT (fit) and not least, LADY ISIS.
ASYNJUR would normally enter the reckoning in a big way, but this six-year-old mare has developed a tardy habit at the start, so much so that it could be termed an acute gate problem.
Fong will no doubt be looking more to LADY ISIS to carry home the bacon. The late kicking eight-year-old mare has lowered her sights to vie for this trophy after finishing second to out of class TIGERINTHEWOODS over 1060 metres on March 1, this on a $290,000 tag.
TWO TURN RACES
On past performances, LADY ISIS will only need to report fit in order to take home this trophy. For one, she truly enjoys two turn races. And she's not too high in the handicaps with 55kg and in-form Oneil Mullings aboard to catch the expected leaders NAVIGATOR and NIJINSKY's WAR up the lane.
In what promises keen competition, the down-in-class LADY ISIS has the right credentials to take top honours.
Other firm fancies on the card are IMMANUEL AND KATIE to give veteran jockey David 'Scorcher; McKenzie a winning ride on his return to the saddle after a 20-year absence; HAIL THE I to stave off POLISH MARKET and PECKUS OUT in the fifth, QUEEN AIR in the sixth, ROYAL MALICE to upstage RAKKADASH in the seventh and BLACK RIVER in the 10th.
