Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

( L - R ) MIRACLE MAN, Distinctly Irish

Twelve top-class horses have been invited for the 29th running of the Megafone Superstakes over 2000 metres at Caymanas Park on Saturday and riding plans for this rich and prestigious grade one race are just as intriguing as the race itself.

Florida-based Jamaican jockey Allen 'Bungo John' Maragh is once again slated to ride defending champion MIRACLE MAN, leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths will have the leg over DISTINCTLY IRISH, with five-time champion Trevor Simpson down to ride the three-year-old colt RUM TALK, champion jockey Brian Harding IL CAIMANO, overseas-based three-time local champion Andrew Ramgeet THE BOMBER, leading apprentice/jockey and new riding sensation Omar Walker ALLIEDFORCE, Richie Mitchell MAJOR MAYER, Dane Nelson GOOD COMPANY and possibly Charles Hussey on recent winner NATURAL DESIRE.

Mouth-watering clash

Completing the list of invitees are UNLEADED, PECKUS OUT and TOBAGO, all basically no-hopers in a race of this nature. The $4.5 million invitational race will feature another mouth-watering clash between previous winners MIRACLE MAN and DISTINCTLY IRISH, both of whom have dominated the last three renewals.

The Allan 'Billy' Williams-trained MIRACLE MAN will be bidding to win the race for the third consecutive year while DISTINCTLY IRISH, from the stables of 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny, won it in 2004 and was runner-up to MIRACLE MAN in 2005 and 2006.

This time around, Howard Hamilton, who owns DISTINCTLY IRISH, is confident of turning the tables and has even challenged MIRACLE MAN's owner Joseph 'Fudgie' Duany to a million-dollar winner-take-all bet.

This was confirmed in my presence by Duany last Thursday and the popular owner says he is contemplating whether to take up Hamilton's challenge.

Take him on

As far as Hamilton is concerned, "Distinctly Irish cannot lose in present frame of mind. The trainer has him on top of his game at present and I can tell you, he has never been better, judging from the way he has been carrying himself at exercise in preparation for the race.

"My only concern is whether the race will be truly run from start to finish. Something has to take on Miracle Man from early ... Miracle Man has the tactical speed to dictate the headlines, so I am hoping that a front running horse like The Bomber will ensure it won't be a false pace.

"Distinctly Irish will be coming on strongly in the straight and victory for him should ensure a second Horse-of-the-Year' award," explained Hamilton who added that his vastly improved racer, MUSICAL MAESTRO from the Dwight Chen stables, has a simple task in the $2-million Megafone Caribbean Sprint.

Duamy, on the other hand, believes MIRACLE MAN will complete a hat-trick of Superstakes win.

"He's the big occasion horse," said Duany of the reigning 'Horse of the Year', who did Jamaica proud in December of last year with a historic victory in the US$100,000 Confraternity Classic in Puerto Rico.

"True, Distinctly Irish beat him when they last met over the distance in the Prime Minister's Stakes on August 6, but he was giving away weight then and on top of that. was having his first outing in eight months. On Saturday, we meet on level terms and it's a clash worth miles going to see," he predicated.