Recent winner of The Viceroy trophy, Mark My Word seems all set for a repeat winning Grade One performance in the $1.3 million Prime Minister’s Stakes feature of the Knightsman Ltd-sponsored Independence Day 10-race card at Caymanas Park today scheduled for approximately 5:10 pm. First post at 12:35 pm.

A field of six three-year-olds and upward — four colts, a filly and a mare — going 2,000 metres will do battle in the 49th running of the Prime Minister’s Stakes, which shares top billing with the $180,000 Knightsman Independence Stakes Trophy over 1,600 metres.

An event which represents Race #15 in Series #3 of the Alex’s Imports Ltd ‘Dig Out Handicap’ programme closing series, the Independent Stakes will have a maximum field of 16 going postward at approximately 5:45 pm.

In the meantime in the Prime Minister’s Stakes anchor none of the opponents of Mark My Word is a Grade One winner. Nonetheless, over a distance of ground and in this small field with fit horses who will enjoy the distance one is never quite certain who could prove unfamiliarly obdurate since the field is further intrigued by the presence of the American import Sir Von.

Owned by Von G White, the talented colt will be going in search of his first Graded Stakes victory coming on the heels of a very impressive nine-length mauling of Open Allowance company over 1,400 metres on last.

There is no question about the class of Mark My Word going two turns, but the Elite Bloodstock Limited chestnut colt has lost twice to foreign-bred horses from his four starts of the season.

So it should not be farfetched to give Sir Von more than a casual look in though he has yet to prove his worth over a distance of ground.

However, the manner in which the four-year-old son of Even The Score out of Premier Gray (Premiership) coupled up under 57.0kg to outclass former Superstakes winner Hombre and his fleet of foot stablemate Fluffy is enough worthwhile evidence to attract attention, especially since he will have a 7.0kg advantage in his second attempt at this level.

Prepared for the races by champion and leading trainer Wayne DaCosta, Sir Von has been well drilled in his own way, as did Mark My Word to meet the demands of the longer trip and with stable rider Shane Ellis unable to make the weight, Paul Francis, who has proven time and again to get the job done over distances such as this, will replace Ellis.

What is interesting in this particular event is there is not much early speed that Mark My Word could feed off and the champion jockey Omar Walker will have to work this out to gain an advantage as the late closers Heart Of Gold and Caridad, though lacking the class of the two top competitors, will not be only making up numbers with a trophy at stake and decent purse money present, and could run surprisingly well by using a 7.0kg weight advantage for measure.

Caridad, trained by Philip Feanny for owner/breeder Joseph Duany, was seen making good headway behind Sir Von on July 23, while Heart Of Gold, a lover of two turns, looked in good nick finishing third behind Dance So Sweet over 1,300 metres also on July 23.

Of the two other runners in the event, Vonalmighty and Herbious Corpus, who are both stablemates of Mark My Word, only Vonalmighty looks to be in with a slim chance to finish in the frame.