Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Royal Image fancied to beat Commander Zero. The impressive ROYAL IMAGE with jockey Shane Ellis aboard winning the Prince Consort Stakes. file
A bumper crowd is expected at Caymanas Park today to witness a clash of epic proportions between the brilliant, unbeaten COMMANDER ZERO and the impressive colt ROYAL IMAGE in the Jamaica Licensed Bookmakers 2000 Guineas for native bred three-year-old colts and geldings over 1600 metres.
The 12-race programme features the other of the season's first classic, the 1000 Guineas for native bred three-year-old fillies, also over 1600 metres.
While the 1000 Guineas is a lot more open and promises keen competition among the 13 fillies, the 2000 Guineas is the one worth going miles to see.
Dubbed the mother of all clashes, it pits two exceptional colts, COMMANDER ZERO with leading jockey Dane Nelson riding for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta and the Anthony 'Baba' Nunes-trained ROYAL IMAGE under title-chasing jockey Shane Ellis in a duel set to last right down to the finish. And the build-up to the race has certainly whetted the appetite of punters.
In addition to the big two, the field of eight includes the unbeaten SUPER DAVE with leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths riding for 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny and the Nunes-trained EVANDER, with the 2005 and 2006 champion Brian Harding flying in from his base in Trinidad and Tobago for the ride.
To many, the 2000 Guineas should come down to a straight fight between ROYAL IMAGE and COMMANDER ZERO, and I too share that view.
preparation
Both have been burning up the track at exercise in preparation for today's encounter, especially ROYAL IMAGE who blew away SUPER DAVE in a spectacular exercise gallop over six furlongs last Sunday morning, clocking a fast 1:12.2 in whipping the Feanny colt by six lengths (eased by Ellis) after giving him a five-length jump.
The unusually large crowd at exercise that day was most impressed by ROYAL IMAGE, but I am more impressed by his most recent win in the Prince Consort Trial Stakes over 1400 metres on March 15 when cruising home by all of 14 lengths (eased) in stakes record time of 1:24.3.
Prior to that, the bay colt by Image Dancer out of the 1993 Harry Jackson Memorial Cup winner slammed the useful HOMBRE by 15 lengths over 1200 metres, covering the distance in the smart time of 1:12.1, despite being eased down by Ellis from midway the last furlong.
To say that ROYAL IMAGE is an exceptional colt would be an understatement.
His rider Shane Ellis thinks the world of him: "Trust me, this horse is a murderer," he said after the colt's runaway win in the Sir Howard Stakes over 1200 metres on February 23.
"He can go in front or sit off the pace if the situation demands. When he ran second to Mr. Skill as a two-year-old last December, I told the trainer that this is the horse I am going to win all the classics on," recalls the 2000 champion jockey.
COMMANDER ZERO, however, has been no less impressive in winning his three races with Nelson aboard. The grey colt by He'stherealthing out of Arantxa is really a 'murderer' in his own right. He continues to move impressively at exercise and bearing in mind that he is yet to put a foot wrong, combined with the fact that he hails from a stable which knows how to fly them on the big occasions, he could be COMMANDER HERO at the end of the day.
Still, preference is for ROYAL IMAGE with COMMANDER ZERO and EVANDER filling the next two places.
The 1000 Guineas promises to be a good race but with none as exciting as ROYAL IMAGE or COMMANDER ZERO present, it pales in comparison.
The one to beat must surely be the DaCosta-trained AHWHOFAH (Nelson up) who clearly has a touch of class. The Royal Minister-Executive Profile offspring scored a decisive victory ahead of the fast-finishing HEART OF GOLD and the front-running ALSAFRA in the March 15 Thornbird Trial Stakes over 1400 metres under top weight of 57.0kg. Now 4.0kg better off with HEART OF GOLD and 2.0kg with ALSAFRA, she ought to be followed.
