Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
TROPICAL DREAMER, ridden by the apprentice Lenroy Collins, romps home in the closing 2000 metre race for $170,000 claimers at Caymanas Park on Saturday. The eight-year-old grey mare was the 9-5 favourite. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
ANOTHER MIDWEEK meet is on at Caymanas Park today, the 10-race programme featuring the three-year-old restricted allowance II for the Joseph Armond Memorial Cup over the circular nine course.
This non-winners of two race confined to three-year-olds, has attracted 12 starters and indications are it will provide keen competition.
Champion jockey-designate Omar Walker is down to ride the highly fancied GALLAVANTER who, along with XPRESS CARD and the recent winner HI-TECH, should carry the bulk of the betting.
Also expected to figure promnently are EARTHWINDAND-FIRE, HAIL THE GENIUS, PRINCESS CUT and LADY RAK-WALWAAY who looks tempting at the weights with only 49kg and improving apprentice Delroy Beharie aboard.
LADY RAKWALWAAY finished a good second to MR. PRIDE over this trip on October 13 with Beharie astride, the 3-y-o filly having SHE'S OUTRAGEOUS just behind in third, along with the then favourite HAIL THE GENIUS in fourth and HEART OF STEEL (on the upgrade) in sixth.
This speaks volumes for the chances of LADY RAKWALWAAY who must not be left out of anything (including trifecta and hi-five) when wagering.
While respecting her chances, I think the two better equipped to fight out the finish are GALLA-VANTER and XPRESS CARD under in-form apprentice Carlton Malcolm, fresh from a two-day suspension.
The Richard Phillipps-trained GALLAVANTER scored easily with Walker astride over 1400 metres on October 20 but has since finished second (running on) to SHE'S OUTRAGEOUS over 1500 metres on November 15 - five lengths clear of the third horse HAIL THE GENIUS. Back in action a fit animal, GALLA-VANTER is not too high in the scales to take home this trophy.
Phillipps has gone for Walker once again in an effort to reduce the weight from 57.0kg to 55.0. What's more, GALLAVANTER will relish the distance and even while having the greatest respect for the fillies XPRESS CARD and LADY RAKWALAAY, not to mention the Eddie Hamilton-trained HI-TECH, who will stay the longer distance, the son of Royal Minister - Mekamara is poised to rebound.
Close contest
Gary Subratie's XPRESS CARD will be coming to crash his party and should ensure a close contest. She was installed a 3-2 favourite to win over 1600 metres on December 8, but ran into a tartar in much-improved TRUE HONOUR and had to settle for fourth in a fast run race, beaten 16 lengths.
She should be cherry ripe for this race, however, and given the longer distance, should make a brave bid from the convenient mark of 49.5kg. But she will have to go through GALLAVANTER.
Other firm fancies on the card are LATIN KING to stave off RAINBOW TRAIN in the second, JCD SLEW to win the third race at the expense of late-kicking NAHIMA, ACCOMPONG to complete the hat-trick at the expense of SLOGAN in the fifth, JACK N'BOX in the sixth and down in class SIR CHARLES in the nightpan.
