Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

BANJUHAR, seen here ridden by former champion jockey Percy Williams, is expected to feature prominently in today's Cecil C. Charlton Trophy over 1300 metres with Brian Harding aboard. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

KEEN COMPETITION is anticipated among high claimers ($420,000 - $390,000) in today's Caymanas Park feature for the Cecil C. Charlton Trophy over 1300 metres.

The race is run annually in honour of the former champion owner C.C. Charlton who for many years was the Mayor of Mandeville.

Charlton, who is also a long-serving president of the Jamaica Bookmakers Association, was inducted to the Hall of Fame of Thoroughbred Racing in June of this year.

With the likes of LIGHTENING ALLEY, LE CHIC, BANJUHAR, SIR KHAN, RIGMAROLE and TIME OF MY LIFE present, it will be no walk in the park for any of them. Significantly, all have won races this season.

The Robert Darby Sr-trained TIME OF MY LIFE won comfortably enough over 1100 metres on August 30, going wire to wire at the expense of MY PLEASURE and the recent winner TOTAL MOTION, with previous winner RIGMAROLE managing only sixth place then.

TIME OF MY LIFE is again expected to show superior speed and if allowed to steal a march entering the straight, could upset calculations. The Garrett Arscott-trained DEARDREAMER also has good speed and should ensure that TIME MY LIFE goes a bit faster than he would have liked.

I suspect that in this scenario both will play into the hands of one of the run on horses, namely BANJUHAR, SIR KHAN, LIGHTENING ALLEY or RIGMAROLE.

BANJUHAR is undoubtedly the most accomplished, having won in overnight allowance company back in February at the expense of subsequent dual winner ALPHA LUPA and CHOSEN ONE, both useful allowance horses.

The fact that champion jockey Brian Harding has elected to ride BANJUHAR from the convenient mark of 53kg., speaks volumes for his chances.

Trained by Dwight Chen, the stretch running six-year-old gelding reports in good condition and looks the one to beat, even though the down-in-class SIR KHAN could make it close, if not running wide at the home turn as usual.

RIGMAROLE, the mount of title-chasing jockey Trevor Simpson, is yet to win going this far. But he has trained well and in this small field should not be denied a chance with only 53kg., while the Arscott-trained LIGHTENING ALLEY can definitely figure if reproducing his August 1 performance over the distance in the Emancipation Day Trophy.

But it all comes back to BANJUHAR, who has beaten better in the not-too-distant past.

Other firm fancies on the card are MONSTER QUEEN to upstage PRINCESS ZANAI in the opening race for maiden two-year-olds, ATTITUDE (knocking at the door) in the second for maidens, RED ROCK (Lasix administered) in the fourth, bold front runner DON'T STAY NAKED to stave off COUNCIL MAN in the fifth and down-in-class HAPHAZARD to win the closing race at the expense of JACK DE FREAK and MYBLUEBELLE.