HALL of Fame trainer Richard Azan is poised for a stellar Saturday at the races, holding strong hands in both divisions of the 20th running of the Arthur Jones Memorial Cup.

The highlight of the 10-race card, the Overnight Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward over seven furlongs (1,400m) will see Azan’s talented charges, Perfect Brew and
Laban, vie for top honours in their respective divisions.

With a purse of $1.25 million each the stakes are high, but Azan’s expertise and his horses’ impressive form make him the trainer to beat. Perfect Brew is expected to shine in Division One while Laban is poised to dominate Division Two. Jockey Shavon Townsend has the leg up on both horses.

Division One is positioned as the ninth event on the card with a post time of 5:05 pm while Division Two is the final race with a post time of 5:45 pm. First post is at high noon.

With a recent close second over six and a half furlongs (1,300m) where he finished just half-length behind Thalita on July 7, Perfect Brew is poised to make a strong impression here. His class and talent make him a top contender as he should benefit from that run — his first in six months.

He has worked brilliantly coming into the race, having gone 59.4 seconds for five furlongs (1,000m) straight, with the first four furlongs (800m) done in 46.2 seconds on Saturday, August 10. Perfect Brew is a five-year-old bay geld bred by Bern Identity out of the
Milwaukee Brew mare Moonlight Brew.

Perfect Brew may be the one to beat but four horses are hot on his heels. Sensational Move, Press Conference, Atlantic Convoy, and Milos are poised to challenge Perfect Brew’s dominance in the nine-horse field.

After finishing a good third by 6½ lengths behind Is That A Fact and Madelyn’s Sunshine over six furlongs (1,200m) on July 13, Sensational Move steps down in class and has been working well. He’s a strong contender for the top spot, leveraging his speed and agility.

Building on his second-place finish by half-length behind Madelyn’s Sunshine at five and a half furlongs (1,100m) on August 3, Press Conference is expected to be competitive again. The distance increase should suit him, and he’s likely to be in the mix.

Atlantic Convoy, after a solid third-place finish by 1¾ lengths behind Major Danger and
Laban over seven and a half furlongs (1,500m) on August 6, he should again put in another good effort. Cutting back in distance shouldn’t be an issue, and he’s likely to be competitive.

As a consistent runner Milos should perform well in this field. His reliability makes him a dark horse contender.

Laban appears to have a more straightforward task in Division Two of the Arthur Jones Memorial Cup, facing nine rivals in what should be a more manageable assignment. However, don’t count out Fearless Soul and Grecian Light, who should both relish the competition.

But the real wild card in this field is Beer Bali, a four-year-old, American-bred, grey-roan filly making her local debut. This dark horse could shake things up and surprise the favourites with her fresh legs and unknown potential.

With 12 starts under her belt in the United States the Keffin Murray-trained
Beer Bali will be looking to make a fresh impression in the Caribbean. According to
Equibase, Beer Bali has raced at three different tracks at Gulfstream, Tampa Bay, and Colonial Downs, primarily in claiming races.

As a three-year-old Beer Bali competed in nine events, including eight claiming races and one maiden special weight. This year she has notched one win and two fourth-place finishes in three starts, including a claiming victory at Tampa Bay on January 20, 2024 — her first career race. With a new training base and a clean slate, Beer Bali is ready to take on the Jamaican racing scene. Robert Halledeen will ride.

Laban, a seven-year-old bay horse by Sensational Slam – For Trixie, had rediscovered his form with a strong second-place finish behind Major Danger on August 6 over seven and a half furlongs. Now, he’s ready to take centre stage and dominate this competition.

Talented filly Grecian Light shone bright with a length’s victory over the five-furlong straight course on August 1, clocking a respectable 59.0 seconds. Grecian Light’s versatility extends to the round course, and she’s poised to build on her recent success with a strong performance.

After finishing fourth behind Chocomo on July 27 Fearless Soul is poised to bounce back and improve his position by a place or two. He’s got the potential to surprise.

Ones to watch

Race 1) Cold Pursuit/Undecided/Stanislaus

Race 2) Titan Tempo/Rosetta/ButterCup

Race 3) Mr Senator/Burning Valor/MPRS Links

Race 4) Papa Gray/Game To Fame/Clowning Around

Race 5) Waterman John/Manny Slam/Dream Worrior

Race 6) Adria/Sweet Bern/Awesome Line

Race 7) Design Diva/Chief Dissident/Never

Race 8) Allegiance/Blu Sensation/Pricess Amahle

Race 9) Perfect Brew/Sensational Move/Atlantic Convoy

Race 10) Laban/Fearless Soul/Grecian Light