Bet on Seattle's Girl
published: Saturday | June 10, 2006

Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

Three trophies, including the principal feature for the Zaleucus Trophy for open allowance horses over 1800 metres, are at stake on today's 11-race programme at Caymanas Park.

Also on the card is the second running of the the 3-y-o and up claiming race ($290,000 - $260,000) for the Sports Journalists of Jamaica Trophy over 1200 metres and the inaugural running of the Master Blaster Trophy over the straight five course in honour of the winningest horse in the history of local racing.

Seven starters have been declared for the Zaleucus Trophy and with most showing good form, it promises to be keen. All of the starters, with the exception of the ageing PEACE AND LOVE, have won this season, four of them in recent weeks.

These are NATURAL DESIRE who beat a good field of overnight allowance horses over the circular nine course on April 22, his victims including subsequent winner DON LIMPIO, EXPLOSIVE PEAK who won the Easter Sprint Cup on Easter Monday, CHADMAN who landed the Ren Gonsavles Memorial Cup over 2000 metres on May 27 and of course, DON LIMPIO, who scored narrowly over 1700 metres on May 13.

AN APPEALING PROPOSITION

The fact that DON LIMPIO came back with a big effort in defeat on May 20 when finishing a good second to GOOD COMPANY over 1600 metres in open allowance company makes him an appealing proposition in a race of this nature.

While the Wayne DaCosta-trained NATURAL DESIRE cannot be left out of calculations, bearing in mind his powerful late kick, I think it will come down to the Anthony Nunes-trained DON LIMPIO under champion jockey Brian Harding and down-in-class SEATTLE'S GIRL with title-chasing jockey Trevor Simpson riding for trainer Dwight Chen.

The one I like best is SEATTLE'S GIRL, based on her good effort in defeat against grade one horses in the Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes over 1300 metres, last Saturday.

SEATTLE'S GIRL raced prominently into the straight behind fast splits, but failed to quicken with the top two and ended up 3-1/4 lengths third to the winner QUIET STRENGTH and FORMALLY GOLD.

Now dropped in class and her fitness not in doubt, SEATTLE'S GIRL (fitter) should rebound at the expense of DON LIMPIO, despite top weight of 57.0kg. She slammed subsequent winners MEDICAL ACCOUNT and ROYAL COMMAND when scoring over 1500 metres on February 18, should have no difficulty getting the distance and appears to have a bit more class than her opponents.