Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
ISLAND CIGAR, ridden by Kerry-Gaye Robinson for trainer Charles Morrissey, wins the circular nine feature race for the Mortimer 'Morty' Herom Memorial Cup in decisive fashion at Caymanas Park on Wednesday. The six-year-old gelding won at odds of 9-2. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
FOUR TROPHIES are at stake on today's well- supported 11-race programme at Caymanas Park, but this is not surprising seeing that it's the annual Jockeys' Guild raceday.
As such, three of the trophies are in honour of two jockeys and one in memory of another.
The three-year-old and up overnight allowance race for the George HoSang Trophy over the straight five course has attracted 13 starters, including leading lights SI MI TRIAL, EXPLOSIVE PEAK, SENOR GATO, SPANISH SECRETS and the current track record holder for the distance FLYING TIGER.
There is also the Brian Harding Trophy race over 1100 metres for maiden three-year-olds, run in honour of the current champion jockey, as well as the annual renewal of the Al Gopie Memorial Cup over the straight course for maiden four-year-olds and up, and the Jockeys' Guild of Jamaica for five-year-olds and up over 1400 metres.
Gopie, a popular lightweight jockey, died in a spill at Caymanas Park on Saturday, November 20, 1999 in the day's penultimate race.
The Jockeys' Guild Trophy race has attracted nine starters and indications are it will be decided among the quartet of MAJESTIC KING, DARLING ANNA (Wesley Henry), DUST ROCK (Trevor Simpson) and CARNIVAL (Douglas Badaloo).
UNRELIABLE HORSES
With the horses at this level basically unreliable, any is capable of winning, MAJESTIC KING, to be ridden by veteran jockey David McKenzie for his brother, trainer Don McKenzie, should come in for a lot of support.
When last venturing over today's trip on January 14, MAJESTIC KING finished 3 1/2 lengths second to out-of-class POWERFUL BELLE, in the process having DUST ROCK just behind in third and DARLING ANNA in fourth, another 3 3/4 lengths away. His chances must be rated highly, but strictly at the weights DARLING ANNA should have his measure with a mere 49kg and former champion jockey Henry taking the ride.
She has been running with a fair amount of consistency and with Lasix administered for this race, gets the nod over MAJESTIC KING and DUST ROCK.
Other firm fancies are the Gary Subratie-trained SPANISH SECRETS to catch the fleet-footed trio of SI MI TRIAL (working well), EXPLOSIVE PEAK and FLYING TIGER in the 10th race for the George HoSang Trophy and the well-prepared TRUE SENSATION to upstage old rival THAT'S-THELAW in the closing straight five race for the Al Gopie Memorial Cup to be contested by the maximum 16 starters.
I also like PITTACUS in the third race, speedy VISCOSITY over VISIONARY in the fourth, Division I of the CTL race for exercise riders, most of whom are current trainees at the Jockeys' School, and MONEY MAKER to upstage NUMERO UNO in the ninth.
