IMPORTED filly Hupomone, who when bidding for her sixth consecutive race had it snapped on last faces an even more daunting task of returning to her winning ways when she goes up against six seasoned rivals in the $715,000 Gerry Skelton Memorial Trophy.

Running for only the second time this season, Hupomone will start favourite in the Gerry Skelton highlighter of the 10-race going 1,100 metres that has a post time set at approximately 5:00 pm with first post at 12:30 pm.

The Wayne DaCosta-trained Hupomone for owners Elizabeth DaCosta & Laurence Heffes & Eric Martin was reported sick when down to start going 1,200 metres on May 4. Since then she has looked as though she has fully recovered and being one of the speediest in the field and in at the weights at 53.0kg for Dick Cardenas, could defy the odds and continue from where she left off on April 13.

Her most potent danger seems to be stablemate and fellow American-bred gelding Rio Cobre.

A five-year-old bay, brown gelding by Chelsey Cat out of Chelsey’s Finest (Crafty Friend) bred by Nancy Shuford in the USA and owned by Elizabeth DaCosta & Derrick Smith, Rio Cobre was a narrow loser to Typewriter and Reasonable Press going 1,500 metres in the King’s Plate feature on April 30.

Since then Reasonable Press returned to win at this level which puts Rio Cobre in with a decent chance of following Reasonable Press into the winner’s enclosure, likewise after a blowout effort behind his speedy stablemate Blast Them Away on May 4.

Rio Cobre, who led in the King’s Plate for 1,400 metres with dictating fractions of 24.3, 47.3, 1;11.3 for 1,200 metres, was declared with top weight of 57.0kg, but would come in at 53.0kg for the 4.0kg claiming apprentice Romario Saunders, which makes him a dangerous customer.

The Guv, who is no back number at the youthful age of seven, is expected to be right there when this is being decided with Shane Ellis astride for trainer Spencer Chung.

Recent winner Runjohnny Run, along with Awesome Camille are two other runners who could come calling for their ‘pound of flesh’ when this is being decided.

Ones To Watch

Race 1 Von Almighty (Dane Nelson)

Race 2 Early Edition (Dane Nelson)

Race 3 Sirmandi (Dane Nelson)

Race 4 Sankofa (Omar Walker)

Race 5 Bankroll (Clive Lynch)

Race 6 Pocket Ace (Javour Simpson)

Race 7 Nobody But Me (Kuri Powell)

Race 8 Rhea’s A Superstar (Dane Nelson)

Race 9 Rio Cobre (Romario Saunders)

Race 10 The Valedictorian (Paul Francis)