Ian Parsard’s 2000 Guineas runner-up Mahogany is highly expected to bounce back to winning ways today, despite facing older horses in what should be an explosive Non-Restricted Overnight Allowance contest at Caymanas Park.

The top-rated event for three-year-olds and upward should attract most attention, even though the Drumbeat Trophy is fitted as the first event on the nine-race programme, scheduled to get under way at 12:45 pm.

Mahogany and his eight rivals will do battle over eight-and-a-half-furlongs (1,700m) in the day’s penultimate event set to go to post at 5:05 pm, for the $1-million purse.

Following what many believe was a hasty ride by jockey Dane Dawkins that resulted in his second-place finish in the Guineas, Parsard and his connections are seemingly putting Mahogany to the test in this event, which by all indications is part of his preparation for next month’s Jamaica St Leger.

The three-year-old gelding won four consecutive races in scintillating fashion over various distances, prior to the Guineas tear-away, where he clocked splits of 23.1, 45.0 and 1:09.2, before tiring badly in the straight.

With nothing left in the tank, he was overhauled and eventually left three lengths behind by the talented Wow Wow, who finished tops in the one-mile (1,600m) event, in a time of 1:37.3 minutes. Mahogany clocked in 1:38.2, ensuring everything goes right for Mahogany going forward, and as such, has called on former six-time champion jockey Omar Walker to assume duties for this assignment and possibly the St Leger.

With that said, one anticipates that the instructions to Walker will definitely be to take his time with the Clovis Metcalfe-bred Mahogany and if executed efficiently, they will certainly prove mighty hard to beat.

Gary Subratie’s Sentient and Crimson, to be partnered with Dane Nelson and Robert Halledeen, respectively, should prove the main threat to Mahogany, along with Wayne DaCosta’s Summer Sun to be piloted by Anthony Thomas.

DaCosta’s other runner Princess Annie and Parsard’s other entrant Coco Chanel, along with Rohan Kabir from the Anthony Nunes barn and Errol Waugh’s Jamai Raja, are mere spectators in the event.

Sentient ran a brave race on last to finish second by a head to the American-bred Race Car over seven and a half furlongs (1,500m) on August 6.

But, the four-year-old colt is still very much at home over a distance such as this and with Nelson, who handed Sentient defeat aboard Race Car in that Independence Day event, returning to do duties here should be a good indicator that he is coming to run and could get home if the favourite put a foot wrong.

Crimson has been doing well lately and was only beaten by a neck by Supreme Soul on last going nine furlongs and 25 yards (1,820m). That along with a few past performances is proof that Crimson, when presented in the right frame of mind, is a force to be reckoned with in deep stretch and today is expected to be no different.

Summer Sun, who also saves his best run for late in a contest, came home strongly on last, finishing third by one-length behind Supreme Soul and Crimson. This American-bred colt relishes a fast pace and if that materialises in this event then he will be coming at them fast in the latter stages.

Meanwhile, the three-year-old and upward $250,000 Optional Claiming event for the Drumbeat Trophy should be decided between Sweet Destiny, Just Trick Me, DM Cutie, Dallas and Price Sammo, over the five-straight (1,000m) course.

Ones to Watch

Race 1) Sweet Destiny/Just Trick Me/DM Cutie/Dallas/Price Sammo

Race 2) Doom Patrol/Timetosaygoodbye/Congrats Suckie

Race 3) Awesome Aviator/ Dezzy the Genius/Blood Song/ Secret Traveller

Race 4) Baby Star/ Super Amia/Kaka My Love

Race 5) Elitist/Born Diplomat/Casual Affair/Miss Hillington

Race 6) Jolly’s Dream/Trulicity/Toughness/Lion’s Den

Race 7) Tomohawk/Fearless Champion/Oneofakind

Race 8) Crimson/Summer Sun/Mahogany/Sentient

Race 9) Faulyna Forever/Portion/Ashley’s Glory