Naturally Royal looks a pretty good betting option in today’s $570,000 Emancipation Day Trophy high-claiming feature at Caymanas Park at 5:10 pm.

But even as inviting as he looks at the weights at 53.0kg with inform claiming apprentice Jevvanne Erwin astride, he is not one to win back-to-back races and could flatter to deceive.

The hope for the connections though, is for the six-year-old chestnut gelding to kick the habit and go on to win his second race on the trot in a fairly competitive field of eight runners under the claiming tag of $550,000 – $500,000 three-year-olds upward.

The Emancipation Day Trophy feature which headlines a nine-race card that also features the $715,000 Alex’s Import Ltd ‘Dig Out’ Handicap event for Restricted Allowance 11 native-bred three-year-olds (NW2) and imported three-year-olds upward, will be run over 1,300 metres with first post at 1:30 pm.

Naturally Royal, trained by Dennis Lee for owner Faye E Lee, is coming off a good win over 1,200 metres on a $525,000 tag three weeks ago . Claimed out of that event by Lee, he is up a bit in the claiming scale at $550,000 but should not be unduly bothered by the distance, although his form has to hold good to come out on top against a more dynamic field.

Included among his fiercest rivals are Free Fall, who was closest to him on last, the inform Tobago, an aging nine-year-old warrior, who has already won twice at this level in the season, recent winner Golden Harvest, a three-year-old chestnut gelding who has been thrown in for a tag, seasoned campaigner at this level Grace Marie and She’s Magic.

Projections suggest that the event could prove to be nip and tuck to the very end with the major challenge to Naturally Royal’s eminence being Tobago with another inform claiming apprentice up in Richard Mairs, who like Erwin, is in the top 10 position in the Jockeys’ Championship chase. Tobago, who comes in at 55.0kg owing to the apprentice’s 2.0kg claim, is not himself too reliable as can be detected from his 21 second-placed finishes to 12 wins in 100 career starts.

Nonetheless, on his best day Tobago is much better than this field and should he benefit greatly from his Equine Pool preparation, the morning line favourite will also have to be at his best to seize any advantage that may come his way, probably from either Tobago or Free Fall.