Wayne DaCosta’s extremely consistent four-year-old dark bay gelding The Guardian is given a grand chance to break his lean spell against five manageable rivals in the $715,000 Overnight Allowance three-year-old and upward race at Caymanas Park today.

Taking the spotlight as the main event in the absence of a sponsored race, the 1,000-metre (round) dash has attracted only six runners, but there is enough good form present to create added excitement for the shortened and low-keyed eight-race programme. First post is 1:15 pm.

Further to this, trainers will continue their search for Classic aspirants as a $715,000 maiden special weight contest for native-bred three-year-olds brings the curtains down with a run over 1,500 metres. Here Trevor Dunkley Jnr’s bay colt Junior Minister, Gemini Stable’s Mumbai Maestro and Salute To Mom, along with Clovis & Hermine Metcalfe’s The Diplomat and Brotherly Connection’s Topless Angel look set for competitive efforts.

The Guardian, the son of Natural Selection while very consistent has not visited the winner’s enclosure from his last 10 starts, but has continued to train well after his none-effort behind his classy American stable mate Cassanova Boy over 1,500 metres on last, and should now be in endearing competitive shape.

By returning today down in grade at 56.0kg and in good trim and trainer DaCosta calling for his stable rider Omar Walker, the win drought could end despite the presence another tough American-bred stable companion New Kingston. Both runners seem to be at different ends of the spectrum with The Guardian liking it shorter and New Kingston longer.

This therefore gives the edge to The Guardian, but it is a race which has good early pace in First Time Lucky, the ageing Tobago, and Forever Mine.

The tactic for either one to win the event will be to go in front and stay on course until the wire intervenes, as the two DaCosta charges will be closing rapidly for their piece of the action after rounding the final bend for home and the one most likely to get there ahead of the field is The Guardian, who when right, uses his tremendous turn of foot effectively when asked to gallop late in an event.

The sixth runner in the field, River Styx, is the newest member of the group and while the five-year-old dark bay mare in not here only to make up numbers, she will have to take a back seat even this light (49.5kg) for apprentice Jevanne Erwin in the face of some fierce competitors at this level.

Ones To Watch

Race 1 Sonor (Jodeien Anderson)

Race 2 Mr Officer (Jodeien Anderson)

Race 3 Rajput (Richard Mitchell)

Race 4 Spongy Spongy (Omar Walker)

Race 5 She’s Magic (Omar Walker)

Race 6 Skyway Express (Jevanne Erwin)

Race 7 The Guardian (Omar Walker)

Race 8 Topless Angel (Wesley Henry)