FURTHER and Beyond, the former Horse of the Year, confronts a mediocre field of five runners in today’s $1.4-million Legal Light Trophy, the premier event on the 10-race programme.

While Further and Beyond is not the horse he once was a couple of seasons ago, he has been doing fairly well in his races to suggest that he is easily the best horse in the line-up. He has raced three times this season, holding a victory and a second-place finish.

Further and Beyond was just 2½ lengths away in second place behind the talented, American-bred, Desert of Malibu in the St Cecelia Cup over six and a half furlongs (1,300m) on March 23, a clear indication that he still has some firecrackers in the bag.

Further and Beyond has worked nicely coming into this race. He had galloped four furlongs (800m) in 49.4, beating stablemate Easy As ABC (50.2) on Sunday, April 14. Despite toting top weight of 57.0kgs (126 lb), Further and Beyond is going to be a tough nut to crack here.

Further and Beyond, bred by Blue Pepsi Lodge out of the Graeme Hall super mare Rumble, is owned by Vickram Oditt, trained by Donovan Hutchinson, and will be ridden by title-chasing jockey Raddesh Roman.

The Legal Light Trophy, an Open Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward honouring thoroughbred Legal Light (Element – Portia) — widely regarded as one of, if not the best horses ever to race in Jamaica — will run over nine furlongs and 25 yards (1,820m).

The race is positioned as the seventh event on the card with a post time of 3:50 pm. First race is at high noon.

Based on paper and back class, Further and Beyond should win but Vincent Atkinson’s Rhythm Buzz and Stomp The Rhythm, as well as Dalton Sirjue’s Green Gold Rush, are strong rivals who could win.

Rhythm Buzz (Buzz Nightmare – River Rhythm) did extremely well to reach this level. The four-year-old bay colt Rhythm Buzz comes into the Legal Light on the backend of two consecutive victories at the Overnight Allowance level.

Rhythm Buzz is fit and ready to compete, and with the field this small he should be in the running. He has worked brilliantly in preparation for this race, having galloped five furlongs out of the straight in 1:00.0, with the first four furlongs done in 47.0 on Saturday, April 20.

Stomp The Rhythm worked the same journey on the same day, with his workout clocked in 1:00.1 by 47.3. That was a decent gallop for Stomp The Rhythm who is returning to competitive racing from a 230-day break. The five-year-old bay gelding Stomp The Rhythm last competed on September 10, 2023 when he finished in fifth position by 10 lengths behind Blue Vinyl in the Kenneth Mattis Memorial Trophy over today’s distance. Stomp The Rhythm should play his part here. Note: Tongue-tie will be off.

Reyan Lewis is to ride Rhythm Buzz while Youville Pinnock is to get the leg up on Stomp The Rhythm.

Green Gold Rush has been consistent in his races, winning four times, finishing second once and third twice from his last 10 starts. He was 14 lengths adrift in third place behind current Horse of the Year Atomica and Is That A Fact in The Viceroy Trophy over nine furlongs on April 1 over one mile (1,600m). Green Gold Rush is expected to run another pleasing race here.

The field is completed by Big Big Daddy who should be safely bypassed here.

Ones to watch:

Race 1)
Schlesinger/Boss Izzy/Beautiful Bran

Race 2)
Funcaandun/Money Monster/Gilbert

Race 3)
Secret Traveller/Tigray Expresss/Little Grovy Thing

Race 4)
Whisky/Princess Sylvia/Great Trick

Race 5)
Benson/Sir Wong Don/Glittering Magnum

Race 6)
Traveller’s Lodge/She’s Prado/Blue Sky

Race 7)
Further and Beyond/Green Gold Rush/Rhythm Buzz

Race 8)
California Crown/Blood Moon/Smart Trick

Race 9)
Riches To Rags/Cleopatra Queen/King Piye

Race 10)
Fred The Great/Money Market/Legit Boss