Patrick Smellie's recent Open Allowance campaigner, Only Begotten Son, take two steps down the claiming scale from a $600,000 tag on last to $450,000 for a crack at the $528,000 Oswald "Ossie" Steele Memorial Cup mid-table claiming feature at Caymanas Park today.

A small field of six from the claiming spread $450,000 - $400,000, three-year-olds upward and native-bred five-year-olds (NW4), will contest the 1200 metres race which opens the 11-race card at 12:45 pm.

Disappointing as a three-year-old colt, Only Begotten Son came on by leaps and bounds at four. Following his claim by Smellie, who owns and trains, Only Begotten Son became a very consistent performer and from a $350,000 claim last season progressed to winning Overnight Allowance earlier this season in a smart 1:19.4.

A five-year-old bay horse by Dayton Flyer out of Miss Polly (Law Of The Sea) and bred by Bill Deenah, his victory was against the very capable American imported filly Fluffy and the locally bred Burning Cielo, who now campaigns among claimers.

Following his win among Overnight Allowance, he moved up to Open Allowance where he failed to get in a serious punch against the likes of Hombre and Technomoto.

In his third race for the season he took a drop in class from Open Allowance and tried his luck among $600,000 claimers. But this did not improve his performance and in search of win number two for the season, he has taken another drop two steps further down the claiming ladder.

Not much to go by his exercise reports, but on recent past performances, he should be more than comfortable at this level among these and with the distance very much to his liking, could turn the form around with a win.

Clive Lynch, who is riding in fairly useful form, is called to the saddle in place of Omar Walker, who was aboard on last.