Bears And Bulls for Royal Lancaster Trophy
WEATHER permitting native-bred juvenile colts and geldings will take centre stage at Caymanas Park today with seven going postward in the annual renewal of the $715,000 Royal Lancaster Trophy feature at 3:30 pm. First post at 12:20 pm.
Also highlighting the 10-race card is the $715,000 Alex’s Imports ‘Dig Out Handicap’ – Race #39 and a $715,000 Overnight Allowance event for three-year-olds and upward over 1,500 metres, which has attracted eight starters.
The Alex’s Import event, a Restricted Stakes for imported three-year-olds and upward (NW3 and maidens) and native-bred three-year-olds over 1,600 metres is once again poised to bring the curtains down on the local programme in exciting fashion.
Judging no doubt by the quality of the 10-horse field which features some of the most competitive native-bred three-year-olds and a cheeky four-year-old Canadian-bred filly Priceless Beauty.
Owned by Houston Stables and trained by Morris Powell, the lightly-raced dark bay/brown filly by Kafwain out of Pretoria (Great Gladiator) has shown tremendous scope for further improvement following her most recent eye-catching stretch run which got her within one length of Herroyalhighness and She’s Smokin over 1,300 metres a week ago.
That run was only her second on local soil and now travelling 150 metres farther will suit her even moreso, giving her a very good chance of opening her winning account the third time of asking.
The maiden special weight contest for native-bred two-year-old colts and geldings and principal feature has attracted some fairly progressive and attractive looking starters to run over 1,000 metres round.
Turbine and Mr Alliance having raced three times before are the two most experienced in the line-up. Bears And Bulls and Andy Cap with a combined three runs between them are not themselves far behind. However, Turbine looks the most gifted of the two most experienced and the one more than likely to lead this field home.
Owned by Bloodstock Limited and trained by Richard Azan, who is also a part owner, Turbine showed himself a worthy candidate for top honours following his run over 1,000 metres round on September 22 when finishing 3/4 length to stablemate Herbious Corpus after leading for most of the way just to be run out of it close home.
On that occasion he was expected to win, but was surprised by his stablemate. He came back almost four weeks later and showed that he is a good sort, but was again on the losing side to Uncle Ken, whom he finished ahead of over the shorter distance before.
Back again over the shorter distance, a chestnut colt by Saint Appeal out of Law Star (Law Of The Sea) bred by Ian Parsard, Turbine has worked very well for another crack at the minimum trip and looks poised to go all the way. Dick Cardenas, who rode the colt on his three earlier runs, will again ride.
Of the known quantity Bears And Bulls looks his main danger. Owned by Derek Chin, a dark bay colt by Alisios out of Bow Creek (Waquoit) bred by Clifton Williams, Bears And Bulls’ two previous runs show the tendency of a run on sprinter, who could easily get middle distances.
With Turbine expected to set the early fractions in this quick sprint, the son of Alisios with his late closing style of running could emerge a serious threat to the ambition of the morning line favourite.
This is especially so when trainer Percival Hussey has continued with jockey Shane Ellis on his charge that looks positive from his preparation.
Don George, one of three debutantes in the event, owned by Oakridge Farms and trained by Philip Feanny, is another who could run well enough to threaten the more experienced runners judging from exercise reports.
A bay colt by Royal Minister out of Lunar Explosion (Outflanker) and bred at Ham Stables Ltd, Don George has trained well for his debut run and in advanced competitive shape that is good enough to ask a serious question of his fellow juveniles. Jockey Trevor Simpson has the leg up.
Ones To Watch
* Race 1 Mismyrtleboyrichie (Omar Walker)
* Race 2 Diamond Valley (Dane Nelson)
* Race 3 Coleman’s Rock (Omar Walker)
* Race 4 That Girl (Akeem Grant)
* Race 5 Linda Blake (Robert Stewart)
* Race 6 Centeya (Omar Walker)
* Race 7 Bears And Bulls (Shane Ellis)
* Race 8 Pat N Gold (Peter Bryan)
* Race 9 Burning Cielo (Omar Walker)
* Race 10 Priceless Beauty (Richard Mitchell)