OLYMPIC Prospect, a prime Classic prospect from the barn of trainer Gary Subratie, faces another stern test to her preparation for the April Classic season start-up when she contests the 22nd running of the $1,300,000 Thornbird Stakes against a formidable bunch of native-bred three-year-old Graded Stakes fillies, at Caymanas Park today.

A Grade II event, designated the highlight of a 10-race card, the Thornbird has attracted a competitive field of 11 starters going 1,400 metres and scheduled to go to post at approximately 4:45 pm with first post at 12:45 pm.

Fresh from winning the Hotline Stakes, Olympic Prospect will be presented well trained and even more potent in a race that she is expected to win to boost stable confidence as there is always some unknown quantity who can crawl out of the woodwork and stun.

Owned by Houston Stables, and with leading jockey Omar Walker continuing in the irons, is enough evidence that the filly is one of the stable’s trump cards. A bay filly by Vanadium out of Golden Olympio (Olympio) bred by Ys. (1955) Ltd, Olympic Prospect have beaten the best of what has been put on show against her.

Added to this, she is the only entrant in the field who has gone beyond 1,200 metres for the season and this could work in her favour having to her credit a second-place finish going 1,400 metres behind the fast-imported filly City Flight. This was Olympic Prospect’s second career start and although finishing a distant 12 lengths away, her time of 1:28.1 was instructive.

Among the prime opposition that she will face and has already beaten are Select A Book, Lady Abhujita, stablemate Minnie Sunshine, and Rastaraven.

On this occasion, they will compete on a 2.0kg better terms but the result could remain the same unless their exercise preparations can be duplicated in the event. Both Select A Book, to be ridden by Shane Ellis for trainer Anthony Nunes, and Lady Abhujita, the mount of Dane Nelson for trainer Richard Azan, have been prepared to have serious say seeing that both seemed to be better bred for 1,400 metres and beyond, but this Olympic Prospect has some class, and like Thornbird before her could put daylight between them in the final rush for the wire.

Others in the line-up who are expected to offer worthwhile opposition include Money Move, one who is well-freshened and making her three-year-old debut after drawing a blank behind Hover Craft in the Jamaica Two-Year-old Stakes in December last year; Argentina and Princess Sassy who scored debut victories over 1,100 metres and 1,200 metres respectively; Perfect Day and Lady Sharvani, both stablemates of Olympic Prospect.

Ones To Watch

Race 1 Silver Shadows (Dick Cardenas)

Race 2 Royal Line (Dane Nelson)

Race 3 The Legacy (Dane Nelson)

Race 4 Gold Runner (Renardo McNaughton)

Race 5 Dior (Renardo McNaughton)

Race 6 Linda Rice (Orlando Foster)

Race 7 Kal Kal (Dane Nelson)

Race 8 Skipaway Prince (Dane Nelson)

Race 9 Olympic Prospect (Omar Walker)

Race 10 Rhea’s A Superstar (Dane Nelson)