Round two of the 2021 clash involving Horse of the Year Nipster and the highest rated horse in the land, Toona Ciliata, takes place today at Caymanas Park in the annual staging of the The Viceroy Trophy.

Usually competed for at nine furlongs, the three-year-old and upwards Open Allowance/Graded Stakes event, this year has been reduced to a mile and has attracted eight starters.

Separate from the big two of Nipster and Toona Ciliata, the presence of the upsurging Oneofakind, Duke and Crimson plus the ever-present and consistent Sentient is sure to provide fierce competition for race goers.

1. SENTIENT: (5 ch h by Strikewhileitshot – Lady Geetadeo) – Went sprinting on March 30, when finishing fifth by seven lengths behind Duke over the straight course. Before that effort, Sentient was a close second behind Toona Ciliata in the Chairman’s Trophy on March 20 over 7 ½ furlongs (1,500m) and faces Toona Ciliata once more. Sentient has gone up in the weights while Toona Ciliata, because of the apprentice claim, has gone down. So, after being beaten by Toona Ciliata and with the handicaps more in the latter’s favour, Sentient is going to be hard pressed to win but he is always game and is going to run his heart out.

2. ROY ROGERS: (5 gr g by Distorted – Soca Party) – Roy Rogers will probably lead for about the first two furlongs after which the ammo will run out.

3. NIPSTER: (4 b c by Casual Trick – Nippit) – Nipster was 8 ¼ lengths behind stable companion Toona Ciliata in the recent Chairman’s Trophy. That was his seasonal pipe opener and since then he has been going well at exercise, looking every inch as the Nipster of old. But can Nipster allow as much as approximately four kilogrammes to Toona Ciliata and beat him? That is going to be difficult but he has crossed many hurdles in his career already.

4. ONEOFAKIND: (4 ch c by Fearless Vision – The Golden One) – Oneofakind although developing faces the best on offer, but his performances along the way suggest that he should run a decent race. Oneofakind is the victim of a severe miscarriage of handicapping. There is no way under the sun that Oneofakind, racing for the first time at this level, can be allowing weight to recent winners in Open Allowance, Crimson and Duke, and so much weight too. Then again, this is horse racing and anything can happen both in handicapping and on the track.

5. CRIMSON: (5 b g by Nuclear Wayne – Sarah Barracuda) – The distance is right for Crimson but he meets his recent conqueror Toona Ciliata (March 20) on worse terms. Crimson will have a hard time winning this one but has shown a recent upsurge in form which gives him an outsider’s chance.

6. DUKE: (5 gr h by Casual Trick – Lady MacBeth) – Duke has also been on the uptick in recent times and is lightly weighted and with the journey not an issue, he should give a good account of himself without winning.

7. LEGALITY: (USA): (5 dkb h by Uncaptured – Tracey’s Legacy) – Legality cannot handle these.

8. TOONA CILIATA: (5 ch c by Soul Warrior – Red Gold) – Toona Ciliata again proved too strong for rivals in the recent Chairman’s Trophy at 7 ½ furlongs. Toona Ciliata enjoys this extended trip of a mile and with the weight reduction because of the presence of the apprentice everything is in his favour. Difficult to see him losing.