Jockey Oneil Mullings who hit a purple patch at Caymanas Park on Wednesday's mid-week card by riding four winners - the first two paying in excess of $200 on the 10 race programme. He has five rides on today's nine-race programme. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

A highly competitive bottom-of-the-barrel claiming contest for the $245,000 Long Shot Trophy will highlight today's nine-race programme at Caymanas Park, beginning at 12:30 pm.

Fourteen starters, many of whom have seen better days, will vie for the major share over the 1,300 metres distance, and of the lot, only the American-bred five-year-old bay mare Catch The Cut has not visited the winners enclosure and can be discounted.

Of the others, recent winners Jack De Freak and Said I Said I, Razzak along with Patas De Fuego, Lady Ballari and Medical Account should fight out the finish, with Lady Ballari favoured to turn the tables on her more fancied rivals.

This nine-year-old The Medic mare is quite versatile but throughout her racing career has shown a distinct preference for the straight five course.

She has also won several races riding the bends and with the champion jockey Brian Harding electing to ride Lady Ballari, she can oblige, being nicely weighted at 52.5kgs.
Owned and trained by Donovan Raymond, the bay mare showed up prominently for 1,000 metres in her last race over 1,400 metres, but then backed away. Lady Ballari is, however, expected to be more resolute this time around at 1,300 metres, a distance over which she is more than comfortable.

Said I Said I who won that 1,400 metres contest is here again with a decent chance. Hailing from the in-form stables of Robert Darby Snr and to be again ridden by Trevor Simpson, Said I Said I, coming from a favourable draw, can again go close. So too is Jack De Freak, the mount of Roderick DaCosta.

Jack De Freak won well on Lasix for the first time last Saturday and with his fitness not in doubt, could play a prominent role in the outcome against Open claimers.

Razzak, with Wesley Henry astride, returns to a level that he is most happy with. The seven-year-old Smokehouse Sam gelding failed to click in better company last Saturday, but will now be seen to greater advantage among these lesser lights and winning here is not beyond him, especially in the quest for another victory in a trophy event.

Another who has prospects of going close is Medical Account under Leo Miller. Medical Account ran well behind Said I Said I on February 18, and although beaten by both Razzak and Said I Said I in his last two outings, his chance of turning the tables on his earlier conquerors is not beyond him, as he looks much better prepared for this.

The opening race for Open Allowance three-year-olds and upward over 1,000 metres straight and the maiden special weight event for native-bred three-year-olds are two other races on the programme that will attract attention.

In the first race on the programme, La Reina, a very fast and exciting four-year-old filly, under Brian Harding, looks set to return to her winning ways over her favourite trip. Trained by Anthony Nunes for owner Elias Haloute, La Reina enters the contest at a most convenient mark and having trained well coming into the race should not be denied the victory in a good-looking six-horse field that includes the joint track record holder Rakkadash with Neville Stephenson in the irons. However, being saddled with top weight and not being the horse of yesteryear, he will have to play second fiddle to both La Reina and Musical Maestro, partnered by Trevor Simpson.

With the Classic season less than a month away trainers are provided every opportunity to look at their prospects. Here trainer Noel Ennevor has Market Dazzle, Wayne DaCosta has Digitech, there is Miss Twist from the stables of Kenneth Mattis, Abeng trained by Percy Hussey, Verity trained by Tensang Chung and Professor Megs out of the barn of Paul Fung.

Digitec under Charles Hussey is slowly but surely putting himself together and should fight out this finish among the likes of Verity under Oneil Mullings, Miss Twist (Trevor Simpson) and Market Dazzle, the mount of Neville Stephenson.

Observer's Selections

Race 1: La Reina
Race 2: Out Of The Blue
Race 3: Stormy Sky
Race 4: Shalomi Kumar
Race 5: Me LLamo
Race 6: Verity
Race 7: Island Cigar
Race 8: Jelen's Choice
Race 9: Lady Ballari

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