Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
MAJOR MAYER is ridden out by jockey Richard Mitchell ahead of the fast-finishing GETAWAYBOY, partnered by Dane Nelson, in Saturday's 1820 metre fifth race at Caymanas Park. MAJOR MAYER, trained by Michael McIntosh and owned by T.V.S. Racing Stables, won by a neck. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE EASTER Sprint Cup overnight allowance race over 1100 metres highlights today's holiday programme at Caymanas Park and what a race it promises to be among the 13 starters.
Included in the line-up is the sparingly raced, but progressive four-year-old colt SPANISH FLEET, who seeks his fourth consecutive win and his fifth from only six career starts. Significantly, SPANISH FLEET could give 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny his second consecutive win in this race following the American-bred colt QUIET STRENGTH's win last year.
Although fit and raring to go for this trophy, SPANISH FLEET, with former champion Trevor Simpson aboard, faces what amounts to be his sternest test to date, as the four-year-old colt by Law Of The Sea out of Bella Isabella will be going up against overnight company for the first time.
He had been racing in restricted company from day one and last time out on March 11, looked ready for this level when winning convincingly over the round five course in non-winners of four company.
True, he beat SIR KHAN and HAFIFA by only 2-1/4 lengths in the slowish time of 1:01.4 and will definitely have to go faster in order to follow up. But being lightly raced, SPANISH FLEET has tremendous scope and I suspect we are yet to see the best of him.
However, he will receive no favours today and the likes of JUST SOME THOUGHTS, PRECOCIOUS MISS D, EXPLOSIVE PEAK, SENOR GATO, ZICKWARTY and SARAH'S FRIEND should ensure he is severely tested.
Both JUST SOME THOUGHTS and PRECOCIOUS MISS D caught the eye when finishing second and third respectively to SI MI TRIAL in a blanket finish going 1200 metres on April 1. Either of the two is capable of winning.
However, the fact that Gary Subratie's PRECOCIOUS MISS D keeps finding one (or two) too good would turn the attention more towards top-weight JUST SOME THOUGHTS, to be ridden by two-time champion apprentice Paul 'Country' Francis, who returns from a six-day suspension.
THE BEST HORSE
Truth be told, JUST SOME THOUGHTS is perhaps the best horse in the race on the strength of his performances last season when scoring at this level in the smart time of 1:05.1 under Paul Francis in June of last year.
Now a lot better for the recent pipe-opener, and in his first outing in almost five months, JUST SOME THOUGHTS looks best equipped to take home this trophy. The American four-year-old colt from the stables of Glenville 'Foody' Morrissey has twice won over the distance in fast time and with the likes of FLYING TIGER, TIME OF MY LIFE and Peter McMaster's EXPLOSIVE PEAK expected to make it very hot up front, this should set it up nicely in the straight for the strong running JUST SOME THOUGHTS. He gets the nod over SPANISH FLEET and PRECOCIOUS MISS D.
Other firm fancies on the card are the well-prepared SANKOFA to upstage CHIEF COUNCILLOR in the second race, SIR CHACHA BABA to atone for his recent near miss in the sixth, I AM PAID FOR to catch PECKUS OUT in the seventh, SPECIAL CAT in the eighth and down in class ZEALOT over the recent winners TRUE SENSATION and WILD ZONE in the ninth.
