Recent winner Sachin takes a step down the claiming ladder as he battles six other well matched horses for a second win of the season in the $492,000 Birnamwood Trophy claiming feature at Caymanas Park today.

Horse racing promoters Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) hosts a nine-race midweek programme with first post at 1:15 pm.

The Birnamwood Memorial going 1,300 metres is the eighth on the card and is scheduled to go off at approximately 4:55 pm. The Henry G Harrison-owned and trained Sachin will run on a $350,000 – $300,000 tag down from $450,000 where he gave a fairly good account of himself on last.

The six-year-old bay gelding by Traditional out of Winning Spirit (Judge TC) and bred by Dr Paul Wright, was a 15-length winner over 1,600 metres three races ago, while campaigning on a $250,000 tag. Following his convincing victory, Sachin then skipped one class to move up the claiming rank at $450,000 and immediately showed that he was back to himself and in good touch by finishing sixth in a good field of 11.

Preparing to take a drop in class for this trophy race, Sachin took a blowout by competing in another $450,000 race going 1,000 metres straight and was not far way at the end.

With the fitness of Sachin not in doubt and the champion jockey Dane Nelson called to the saddle, another capital effort looks in store over this shorter trip, notwithstanding his 55.0kg still in place.

His most serious threat could come from Fearless Babe, who steps up in class and was a recent winner of the distance in a smart 1:21.4.

Fearless Babe, owned by Diamonds and trained by Marlon Anderson, will step up in grade with a mere 52.0kg and ridden by Richard Lunan seeking a three-timer after having posted two solid wins over distances of 1,400 metres and 1,300 metres, respectively.

Sachin, the six-year-old, has registered only two wins from his last seven starts (four for the season), while Fearless Babe, a four-year-old dark, bay filly, on the other hand, has so far produced three wins for the season from seven starts.

Shining Gold and Imperial Fortune are two other runners who possess recent good form and are expected to have a say in the final strides to the wire, all things even.

Imperial Fortune, the mount of Richard Mitchell, does not seem to know how to win races and the very well-bred Shinnng Gold, the mount of the leading rider Omar Walker, seems to be plagued with lameness which has seen her fall to this level.

Still, from a $180,000 through to a $450,000 tag on last, the five-year-old chestnut gelding by Dayton Flyer out of Lurwish (Hadif) bred by Lorenzo Robinson has managed to scuttle three wins from his last four starts.

Like Sachin, Shining Gold has not yet campaigned on a $350,000 tag over his last 12 races, but both are well-tuned despite their tardy gate habits, to fight this out with the leading riders aboard. Overall this is an evenly matched bunch who on any given day any among them can be a winner.

Ones To Watch

Race 1 Emergence (Prince Holder)

Race 2 Tricky Nikki (Dane Nelson)

Race 3 Silver Shadows (Richard Mitchell)

Race 4 Raj Kapoor (Dane Nelson)

Race 5 Frankenstorm (Dick Cardenas)

Race 6 Pretty Ting (Jevvanne Erwin)

Race 7 Lightning Image (Conrod Ellis)

Race 8 Sachin (Dane Nelson)

Race 9 Brother To Brother (Percy Williams)