Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

PHOTOS BY Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

GEISHA'S HEART, one of three winners for apprentice Carlton Malcolm, powers home ahead of PRIME MINISTER (Trevor Simpson) in the fifth race over 1600 metres at Caymanas Park, on Wednesday.

Good Company (right) should top the overnight allowance event ahead of Pittacus (left).

Despite featuring the Joshua Morrison Memorial Cup over 1500 metres at Caymanas Park today, a more interesting race on the 10-race programme is the three-year-old and up overnight allowance over 1600 metres in which nine starters have been declared.

While several of the runners are in good form, indications are that the winner will emerge from the trio of GOOD COMPANY and PITTACUS, both dropped in class, and ROYAL COMMAND who indicated a return to form on May 19 when a good second to JACK SPARROW in the Frankie Frazer Memorial Cup over 1300 metres.

That was ROYAL COMMAND's best effort for some time and with trainer Richard Azan having taken him to task at exercise, the hint should be taken.

ROYAL COMMAND is not badly off with 54.0kg and can get the job done in the strong hands of five-time champion Trevor Simpson.

The Choice

Still, I am expecting GOOD COMPANY and the 2003 Super-stakes winner, PITTACUS, to carry the bulk of the betting. Both have been burning up the track at exercise coming into this race, with, if anything, the Wayne DaCosta-trained GOOD COMPANY looking that much sharper.

PITTACUS is sure to run well in a race of this nature but, for me, the choice has to be GOOD COM-PANY who had him behind in fourth when finishing second to ALLIEDFORCE over the circular nine course on May 5.

GOOD COMPANY subsequently ran in the valuable Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes over 1300 metres on June 2, but failed to cope with the blistering pace and ended up nine and a half lengths last to allthe way winner CLOCK WORK.

Now, dropped in class and the distance perfect, GOOD COM-PANY (Dane Nelson up) should emulate his January 27 course win when covering the distance in the fairly good time of 1:39.1.

The seven-year-old gelding by Pat N Jac out of Pleasant Company has been out of the frame only once in five races since and from the convenient mark of 54.0kg, should prove too strong for PITTACUS and ROYAL COMMAND.

Memorial Cup

Meanwhile, nine have been declared for the Joshua Morrison Memorial Cup and indications are that the winner will come from the quartet of BRITISH LA GENERAL, MITAKA, MARKET BRIDLE and MYTHICAL PEGASUS who, despite his persistent tardiness at the start, can definitely take home this trophy from anything near a clear break.

MITAKA, the mount of back-to-form apprentice Carlton Malcolm, has the pace to set off in front and having looked the part at exercise, could prove difficult to tag from the lenient mark of 50.0kg.

However, the one I like best is the Enos Brown-trained BRITISH LA GENERAL (Javour Simpson again aboard) who failed by a nose to beat subsequent winner STREET FIGHTER over the distance on May 12 in the fairly good time of 1:35.0.

Other firm fancies on the card are down in class DIESEL in the first, OUTSTANDING to repeat in the third, NATURALLY ROYAL in the fourth, BLACK RIVER in the fifth and MEDICAL REPORT to catch DOUBLE BOW in the seventh.