Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Howard Hamilton (right), owner of Distinctly Irish, receives the 2007 Horse of the Year award from Senator Dwight Nelson, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Public Service, at Thursday night's 19th annual None Such/Horse of the Year awards dinner at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston. Hamilton also received the Champion Owner award.

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The brilliant filly OUTSTANDING, who bolted prior to the start of the St Catherine Cup feature last Saturday and was withdrawn, will seek to atone against four opponents in the Abe Issa Memorial Cup feature over 1200 metres at Caymanas Park today.

The Abe Issa Memorial (three-year-old and up stakes) is one of three trophy races on the 11-race programme which commences at noon.

Also on the card are the four-year-old and up restricted allowance IV (non-winners of three) for the Howard Phillipps Memorial Cup over 1100 metres to be contested by six starters and the $315,000-$285,000 claiming race for the James B. Dawes Memorial Trophy over 1300 metres for which 10 have been declared.

In the Dawes Memorial, both STATE PRINCE and POWER CRACKER have won in recent weeks. But the manner in which STATE PRINCE squandered the opposition in winning by nine lengths on a $260,000 tag over 1600 metres on January 19 makes him the more appealing proposition with title-chasing jockey Dane Nelson aboard.

POWER CRACKER, the mount of champion jockey Omar Walker, along with TOUCHDOWN and the free-running ABENG, is not without chances in a race of this nature. But the one to beat must surely be STATE PRINCE.

The same is true of the Allan 'Billy' Williams-trained OUTSTANDING who renews rivalry with recent conqueror RAMPAGE in the Abe Issa Memorial Cup. When both horses last met in the Pringle Cup over 1100 metres on December 29, then favourite OUTSTANDING failed by a neck to catch Richard Azan's RAMPAGE after rearing at the start and losing ground.

OUTSTANDING subsequently made amends with a fast-time victory over the straight on January 26 and was confidently expected to follow up last Saturday, only to bolt prior to the start.

Razor sharp

She reports razor sharp for today's encounter, an up in the weights and worse off with RAMPAGE, is such a talented filly that she is tipped to win again.

Leading jockey Shane Ellis replaced the in-form claiming apprentice Jason Simpson aboard OUTSTANDING. But this should make little difference as the Law Of The Sea filly should make all the running in this small field.

Meanwhile, the Howard Phillipps Memo-rial Cup over 1100 metres should see THE BEST MAN, LADY INDIRA, PRINCESS LORNA and the recent winner RIGGED TO WIN in contention where it matters.

THE BEST MAN, now eased a bit in the weights after finishing a close fourth to ISLA over this trip on January 12, will more than likely start favourite and should set off in front. But he might just be caught by LADY INDIRA who failed by only a head to catch ISLA in the same race in which THE BEST MAN was fourth.

Other firm fancies are the speedy PASS LINE (Lasix administered) in the fourth race, COLLEGE BOY in the fifth, down in class SHAHID in the sixth, and the recent winner JET BLASTER to catch the front- running hat-trick seeker JACK BE GOOD in the seventh.