BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) - The outstanding filly Zouk will go for the Triple Crown in Barbados horse racing today when she tackles eight rivals in the Bar$102,800 (US$51,400) United Insurance Barbados Derby over 2,000 metres at the Garrison Savannah race track.

A solid winner of April's Banks Guineas and the Midsummer Classic a month ago, Zouk aims to hit the jackpot with a win in the final leg of the series that offers a whopping a bonus of Bar$100,000 (US$50,000) to the horse completing the Triple Crown series.

Former champion jockey Juan Crawford, who rode Zouk to her Midsummer Classic win by a length on July 9, will be aboard again and he is confident his mount, owned by Richard Edwards and trained by Naz Issa, is the best in the field.

"She is a class horse, so I won't be panicking or bothered about the other horses," Crawford told CMC Sport.

"I'll be the target, but I am not worried, I'll be working with it," added Crawford, bidding for the first Triple Crown success at the Garrison Savannah in 10 years - since Incitatus completed the series win in 1996.
Naz Issa, Zouk's trainer, is pleased with the filly's preparation and confident of victory.

"I am very happy with her, she is working extremely well and I couldn't ask for more," Issa said.
Zouk, a bay filly, by Carpe Diem out of Jazz Girl, won the 1,800-metre Midsummer Classic by a diminishing length and connections of a few of his rivals believe the extended trip could be the main factor to terminate Zouk's winning streak.
Zouk repelled strong challenges in the Midsummer home-stretch to defeat First Edition and Border Secret, two of his rivals in today's Derby.

The colt First Edition was gaining fast on the front-running Zouk at the end of the Midsummer and his trainer Robert Peirce anticipates the additional furlong benefiting his horse.
"Due to the fact that my horse made up five, six lengths in the (Midsummer) straight would tell me that Zouk was fading and that the extra furlong might hurt her (Zouk) a bit," said Peirce, who has already enjoyed big race success his year with victory in the Sandy Lane Gold Cup with Sharp Impact.
Jason Leacock will ride First Edition for Peirce.

Border Secret is one of three entries from the barn of Jamaican trainer Andrew Nunes and she has champion jockey Andy Trotman aboard.
"She feels very good. I paced her two rounds the other day and she paced it strong right through, did not get tired or anything," Trotman said.
Border Secret was 2 3/4 lengths third to Zouk in the Midsummer Classic.
Nunes will also start Makarios with top apprentice Chris Husbands aboard, and the Jamaica-bred filly Top Lady, with Donovan Yeo riding.

Top Lady was second to Zouk in the CO Williams Fillies Guineas in June.

The field also includes Bachelor Boy, a third-placed finisher in the mid-April Banks Guineas, War Crime, and Dipitinhoney, the mount of Jamaican Ricardo Hibbert, who was also aboard the filly when she placed third in the Fillies Guineas in June.

STARTERS - Barbados Derby
Tabulate under: Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer
1 War Crime - Randy Cumberbatch, Bernard John
2 Makarios - Chris Husbands, Andrew Nunes
3 Queen of Sheba SCRATCHED
4 First Edition - Jason Leacock, Robert Peirce
5 Bachelor Boy - Jamar Maughn, William Clarke
6 Body N Soul - Rocco Bowen, Liz Deane
7 Zouk - Juan Crawford, Naz Issa
8 Dipitinhoney - Ricardo Hibbert, Stephen Bynoe
9 Top Lady - Donovan Yeo, Andrew Nunes
10 Border Secret - Andy Trotman, Andrew Nunes

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