Uncle Ken for Morty Heron Cup

By Hurbun Williams Observer writer

Saturday, February 04, 2012

The annual renewal of the Mortimer 'Morty' Heron Memorial Cup is the highlight of a nine-race card at Caymanas Park today with a field of 10 declared to go to post at approximately 4:20 pm with first post at 1:00 pm.

The event will be contested among the claiming spread, $250,000 - $210,000 (three-year-olds upward), native-bred five-year-olds (NW2) and six-year-olds (NW4) over a distance of 1,820 metres.

The two outstanding talents in the 10-horse field contending for the major share of the $462,000 purse are Uncle Ken and Sir Jaadu Baba and the fight for parity is expected to manifest itself between these two. Nonetheless, competing at this level they will face meaningful opposition from Cruiser and Seek Gold with the likes of Chadalia and White Star doing enough to complicate matters in the closing stages.

Uncle Ken, a four-year-old bay gelding by Alajwad out of Kathythetraina (Conquistador Cielo) and bred by Trevor James, who was one of the outstanding performers as a two-year-old who won the Pick-3 Super Challenge second leg of the Supreme Ventures Limited Triple Series and also the Prince Consort Guineas Trial Stakes as a three-year-old.

Taken out of training and put down for a few months to heal after suffering from joint problems, the gelding returned to the races down in class on a claiming tag of $180,000 in October of last year, but failed to sparkle. Uncle Ken subsequently began to show improvement following the initial run and won the third time of asking on a $250,000 ticket. Up in grade for his next race, Uncle Ken failed to make the frame on a $350,000 tag and is quickly returned by trainer Robert Alvaranga to where he scored his last success. Well suited to the distance and company, the once promising Classic talent could go all the way once again with his favourite rider Shane Ellis remaining in the irons.

From the evidence of his last run Uncle Ken is still not back to his old self and should experience his fiercest rivalry from Sir Jaadu Baba, the mount of champion jockey Dick Cardenas.

An exemplary performer in the earlier part of last season, the six-year-old bay son of Footloose II out of Lady Bakul (Liver Stand) bred by Henry Jaghai began to lose form after reaching as far as Overnight Allowance. After two unproductive runs at this level in January the gelding takes an appreciable drop down the claiming ladder to face opposition he will be extremely comfortable against, and with the distance not a problem, once fit enough to fight, he will be competitive to the very end.