Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
VISCOSITY, running at odds of 10-1, is eased down by former champion jockey Trevor Simpson to win the $160,000 claiming race for the Roderick 'Pilot' Francis Memorial Trophy over 1200 metres at Caymanas Park last Saturday. Going wire to wire, VISCOSITY led home the favourite NIJINSKY'S WAR by 4 3/4 lengths. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
TODAY'S MID-WEEK meet at Caymanas Park will be highlighted by the season's first two-year-old race for the Starters' Trophy over 800 metres straight.
Post time is 1:00 p.m. and 10 races are slated.
Six native-bred juveniles have been declared, two from the stables of Gary Subratie - RHYMAT and ROYAL HARVEST.
ROYAL HARVEST, a good-looking bay filly by Alisios out of English Harvest, was purchased for $600,000 by Edison Chai at the 2005 yearling sale.
The two Subratie-trained horses have looked forward in condition. On the morning of Wednesday, April 26, both (ridden from the gate) were caught in the identical time of 36.4 for the first three furlongs, with ROYAL HARVEST being pulled up in 1:05.0 (easy), marginally ahead of RHYMAT.
Indications are that ROYAL HARVEST, the mount of former champion jockey Trevor Simpson, will perform the better of the two as she looks a bit more forward.
STIFF OPPOSITION
However, she can expect stiff opposition from the Anthony Nunes-trained LADY INDIRA under champion jockey Brian Harding and PRINCESS ZANAI, to be ridden by Kenyatta Davis for trainer and part-owner Louis Richards.
PRINCESS ZANAI is a small but attractive chestnut filly by Maverick out of the Wise Emissary mare Samantha's Song which makes her a full sister to the speedy EMMVEEPEE, the 2005 Claimer of the Year.
LADY INDIRA, on the other hand. is a well-built bay filly by Footloose II out of La Rae who has looked fairly forward in condition.
Chances are it will come down to a straight fight between PRINCESS ZANAI and ROYAL HARVEST.
PRINCESS ZANAI looked fluent when galloping two furlongs in 24.1 and paced through in 1:09.2 for five furlongs straight on April 22. She looks that more forward than the others and is tipped to go all the way.
Elsewhere on the programme, TIME OF MY LIFE who led for a long way in the recent Easter Sprint Cup (overnight allowance) won by EXPLOSIVE PEAK, should rebound under leading jockey Charles Hussey in the second race over the straight for high claimers.
DOWN IN CLASS
The five-year-old gelding from the stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta is not only down in class but is back over his pet trip and should lead home another course specialist SCOTCHONTHEROCKS and recent course winner ROYAL MALICE in the field of seven.
Other firm fancies on the card are MITAKA to atone for his recent narrow defeat by landing the opening round five sprint for three-year-olds, POWERFUL BELLE to stave off old rival DARLING ANNA in the fifth, down in class TIGERINTHEWOODS to upstage the slumping MUSTANG in the eighth race for $160,000 claimers over the straight, super fit ROYAL KINGDOM to catch LEGENDARY GLITZ and VENOM in the ninth race over 1400 metres following his close fourth to BLACK RIVER when sprinting on Saturday, and PHANTOM J (now focused) in the nightpan.
