Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

LA REINA (pictured with Brian Harding aboard) is expected to battle it out with stablemate Don Limpio in today's feature - the Nigel B. Nunes Memorial Cup, over 1820 metres. - photo by Colin Hamilton

SEVEN OPEN allowance horses are down to contest today's Caymanas Park feature for the Nigel B. Nunes Memorial Cup over 1820 metres, a race in which trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes holds a strong hand with three of the seven starters.

It would be fitting to see the in-form second-generation trainer saddling the winner for the second consecutive year, as the race is run in memory of his late father who was champion trainer in 1975.

Last year 'Baba' posted PITTACUS to win the circular nine feature. This year he comes back strongly with the trio of LA REINA, DON LIMPIO and TWEEDSIDE, who is up in class with a light impost.

Stiff opposition

They can expect stiff opposition from the imported filly SEATTLE'S GIRL, to be ridden by title-chasing jockey Trevor Simpson, and this year's St. Leger winner ALLIEDFORCE, who seems to have too much on his plate (54kg) to beat these horses at this stage.

The Dwight Chen-trained SEATTLE'S GIRL appears to have a better chance, despite joint top weight of 57kg with the talented, native-bred filly LA REINA.

Prior to finishing 9 1/4 lengths third to the ill-fated QUIET STRENGTH in the fast-run She's On Wheels Trophy over the round five course on July 22, SEATTLE'S GIRL was beaten in a driving finish by DON LIMPIO and CHADMAN in the Owen Silvera Memorial Cup over 1800 metres on June 10.

There is not much to choose between SEATTLE'S GIRL and DON LIMPIO and it should be pretty close between them today, both having trained well for this trophy.

Title-chasing jockey Wesley 'Callaloo' Henry has the leg over DON LIMPIO, who is not too high in the handicaps with 54kg to take top honours.

True, the American 4-y-o gelding was beaten into sixth place by stable-companion LA REINA over 1400 metres in the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commis-sion (BGLC) Trophy race when apprentice-ridden on August 7. But he obviously took a back seat that day and in any case, is not a boy's ride.

BGLC Trophy

Still, LA REINA (now worse off) could well start favourite by virtue of her impressive fast-time victory in the BGLC Trophy, a race she won at odds of 10-1. The fact that bang in-form stable-jockey Brian Harding has elected to ride LA REINA in preference to DON LIMPIO could be saying something.

However, LA REINA is unproven going this far and it could tilt the balance in favour of DON LIMPIO, who by virtue of his close second to MIRACLE MAN over the distance in the Legal Light Trophy back in April, could prove a hard horse to beat.

Other firm fancies are COMING TRUE to stave off HIDALGO in the third race, TWIN STAR in the fourth, FAITHFUL ROBBIE in the sixth and SNOW PROSPECT in the seventh.