CAMPAIGNERS in the $350,000-$300,000 claiming spread for three-year-olds upward and native-bred five-year-olds upward (NW3), take the spotlight at Caymanas Park today in the $492,000 Millard Ziadie Cup feature.

The penultimate event on the local segment of racing, it highlights a nine-race card that is set to go off at approximately 4:55 pm with first post at 1:00 pm.

The card includes a range of events for runners from the $180,000 claimers groups to Open Allowance campaigners and will feature two interesting races for recently coming-of-age and eligible three-year-olds — one a maiden special weight contest for imported three-year-olds upward over 1,200 metres, the other a maiden special weight showdown between native-breds only over 1,400 metres.

Each race on the card has its own sets of competitive qualities, but there is none more so than the Millard Ziadie where 10 will go postward in ship-shape with eyes all set on gaining the first win of the 2012 season going 1,100 metres.

And should they all run to expectations it can even prove too close to call with the chief combatants being Reggae Princess, Soca Party, Fabulousconnection and Rivers Of Babylon, the latter being an imported four-year-old bay filly, who has been so far unimpresssive with a single win from 10 career starts up to Overnight Allowance company.

This is not a prediction of how they will actually finish, but the winner is more than likely to come from this group with a slight leaning toward Reggae Princess to come out on top although Soca Party, who has dropped two classes down the claiming scale, could just get there in the nick of time to tip the balance.

Both these runners started their racing career at the barn of champion trainer, Wayne DaCosta, but were put into claiming after failing to meet early expectations. Of the two, Soca Party a five-year-old grey mare was the better performer and has won as high as $550,000 claiming from whence she has fallen following a brave one-length second behind Si Puedo, who is favoured to win on a $600,000-$550,000 tag in another race on the card.

If this is anything to go by then Soca Party, now owned by Arthur Foreman and trained by Nicholas Edwards, should be around at the finish since the new connections have found it fitting to retain the services of Omar Walker, who knew this filly since she was a two-year-old and was aboard on last.

Notwithstanding the fact that Soca Party seems to have all the aces, Reggae Princess has a quality that could hurt the chances of her former long-time stablemate — that is speed. Soca Party is a run-on type, and to gain victory, the mare will definitely have to close steadily and rapidly to get ahead of the pack, which has Fabulousconnection and Itainteasybeingme in the line-up.

Reggae Princess, a six-year-old dark bay mare by Royal Minister out of Lady Kayla (Devil His Due) bred by Phillip Liu and prepared for the contest by trainer Ryan Darby for owner O’Shaun Connection, is herself down in class after a smart third place finish behind Working Image and Live Water going 1,000 metres straight on the New Year’s Day card. Reggae Princess at the time campaigned on a $425,000 tag.

In a race in November of last year, while being ridden by Walker, Reggae Princess won the 1,100 metres event on a $450,000 claiming tag and since then has been holding her form consistently well at that level.

Now down a class with appealing form the Royal Minister mare should continue to run well for jockey Oneil Mullings who was aboard on her last two runs.

Ones To Watch

Race 1 Heart Of Gold (Dane Nelson)

Race 2 Golden Powerball (Clive Lynch)

Race 3 Classic Princess (Doushane Gordon)

Race 4 Real Vibes Machine (Dane Nelson)

Race 5 Si Puedo (Robert Halledeen)

Race 6 Jagsover (Chavion Chow)

Race 7 Rainbow Man (Doushane Gordon)

Race 8 Reggae Princess (Oneil Mullings)

Race 9 Remember Me (Aaron Chatrie)