HOUSTON Stables’ Raise A Ruckus aims for his second consecutive win since joining the claiming ranks as he takes a step further down the claiming scale in the $528,000 Paul Newman Memorial Trophy feature at Caymanas Park today.

Eleven races are carded with the Paul Newman scheduled for an approximate 4:30 pm post going 1,600 metres. First post is at 11:45 am.

The five-year-old chestnut horse is by Graeme Hall out of Likely Ruckus (Bold Ruckus) bred by Eugene Melnyk in the USA.

Trained by Philip Feanny, Raise A Ruckus is coming off a good win by three lengths on a $500,000 ticket and will now headline an 11-horse field on a lower $400,000 tag among $450,000 – $400,000 claimers, three-year-olds and upward and native bred five-year-olds (NW4).

Coming from as far up as Grade One where he competed for most of this season with fair success, including one win, Raise A Ruckus appears a cinch among these. Even so, stepping so far down the claiming ladder there is cause for concern that all is not right with the imported horse since last raced and this should raise the expectations of some of his rivals, as having little more than a cursory look-in even with the five-time champion jockey Trevor Simpson still entrenched.

Among these are the very consistent General C, who has moved up the claiming scale following consecutive wins at the lower level and will carry top weights at 56.0kg ridden by Cavel Brown; Ghost Rapper, the mount of Omar Walker, who has already won twice over today’s distance, at this level this season; Bredda Pappa, ridden by champion jockey elect Dane Nelson; former top Classic race performer, eight-year-old Mucho Gusto, ridden by jockey Richard Mitchell, who has been showing much gusto of late; the former Open Allowance campaigner Only Begotten Son, who has scored back-to-back wins in the grade below ridden by Robert Halledeen, and Jagsover, the mount of Jemar Jackson, who could surprise his more fancied rivals.

Despite the aforementioned rivals, Raise A Ruckus on three legs should have little difficulty putting this group of horses away for his 10th career win.

The fireworks that maybe missing from the 10th and penultimate Paul Newman feature could pick up in the 11th and nightcap Track Price Plus ‘Dig Out Handicap’ Race #22 where a strong field of 14 will compete for the major slice of the $715,000 purse to bring the local programme to a close.

In the quick dash over 1,200 metres, the lightly raced Runjohnny Run, also trained by Philip Feanny, looks well drilled to register his third career win in a 14-horse field that is full of useful talent that could prove competitive to the very end.

ONES TO WATCH

Race 1 Little Mama Mia (Dick Cardenas)

Race 2 Lady Celtic (Holando Butler)

Race 3 Special Degree (Shameree Muir)

Race 4 Region De Naskra (Kuri Powell)

Race 5 Dolla Win (Cavel Brown)

Race 6 On Song (Ryan Nelson)

Race 7 Pretty Eyes Sanaa (Dane Nelson)

Race 8 Above The Radar (Orlando Foster)

Race 9 Ochun (Prince Holder)

Race 10 Raise A Ruckus

(Trevor Simpson)

Race 11 Runjohnny Run (Trevor Simpson)