BY HURBUN WILLIAMS

Observer writer

TYPEWRITER, one of racing’s most enduring super-class athletes, returns to competitive racing at Caymanas Park today after an eighth-month hiatus.

Not raced since December of last year when finishing down the track in the Harry Jackson Memorial Cup, Typewriter will return at aged six refreshed and a fit-to-fight competitor in defence of the Nigel B Nunes Memorial Cup (Open Allowance) call that he won last year in a driving finish from the lightly weighted Exotic Gold.

A field of seven runners will go postward in the 1,820 metres race for a purse of $845,000 at approximately 4:35 pm with the first post at 12:15 pm.

Painstakingly prepared for his re-entry in the Nigel B Nunes Memorial Cup by trainer Spencer Chung for owners Robert F Chung and WP Valentine Chung, the six-year-old son of Western Classic has trained well to be very comfortable over the distance among his present rivals.

Despite this, however, the form of Franfield and Timeforarms is very encouraging at present and this, therefore, suggests that the measure of timing from Ian ‘Dolly Baby’ Spence aboard Typewriter must be well calculated to thwart any unforeseen hiccup in the running.

In-form title-chasing jockey Shane Ellis, who is the regular rider on Typewriter, has jumped ship and will now ride Franfield for trainer Richard Azan. This can have serious implications when choosing the winner of this race as Ellis’s choice of ride shows that he will be hunting a hat trick of wins aboard the in-form Franfield, while Typewriter is now returning from a long layoff from racing and may need a run or two to get race-ready.

Timeforarms, unlike Franfield, has already won at the distance in a good time in the grade below in the current season, but with the lightweight claiming apprentice Sadiki Blake selected by trainer Fitzroy Glispie to replace the four-time champion jockey Omar Walker, that may also reduce the six-year-old horse’s chances of repeating.

Trainer Anthony Nunes, who has a fine record of winning the event named in honour of his illustrious father, will saddle Lock And Loaded. The four-year-old colt won comfortably over today’s distance in a time of 1:55.4, but this was against a much lower level of opposition than he will face today. Therefore, while Lock And Loaded, owned by Elias Haloute & Stephan A Narinesingh & Mark A Roberts, has been well-prepared for conquest he may have to wait for easier opportunities.

Military Move is one of the slyest competitors in the line-up. The Lawrence Freemantle-conditioned six-year-old bay gelding son of Outrigger has been running decent races all season and has trained to be competitive at a level and in company that he is comfortable. He just completed the competitive Prime Minister’s Stakes with a third-place finish and coming into the Nigel B Nunes Memorial Cup with only a feather on his back, and with apprentice O’Brien White called to the saddle, Military Move has as good a chance as any.

Ones To Watch

Race 1 Shade Of Beauty (Robert Halledeen)

Race 2 Demolition Boy (Jevvanne Erwin)

Race 3 Dreamliner (Robert Halledeen)

Race 4 Marisha Star (Wesley Henry)

Race 5 Southern Cruise (Shane Ellis)

Race 6 Brave Prospect (Omar Walker)

Race 7 Woman Is Boss (Aaron Chatrie)

Race 8 Action Man (Omar Walker)

Race 9 Typewriter (Ian Spence)

Race 10 Awesome Marque (Shamaree Muir)