WHILE THE Superstakes is undoubtedly the meet's showpiece event, the 20th running of the CTL Caribbean Sprint Championship, over 1200 metres, promises such keen competition that it could well be the race of the day.

Offering a total purse of $2.25 million, the race has attracted the maximum 16 starters, among them last year's winner, MUSICAL MAESTRO (Shane Ellis), the season's top sprinter MEDICAL REPORT (Paul Francis), the 2006 winner RAMPAGE (Allen Maragh), as well as the improving three-year-olds AHWHOFAH (Omar Walker) and MACHISMO (Andrew Ramgeet), not to mention the crack four-year-old filly OUTSTANDING (Wesley Henry).

Gresford Smith-trained OUTSTANDING looked the part when scoring impressively over 1100 metres on October 29, covering the distance in the smart time of 1:04.4. As a result of that performance, OUT-STANDING, who led to the last furlong when finishing a close fourth in last year's race, is one of the highly-fancied runners in the field and is sure to make a brave bid.

The credentials of the Noel Ennevor-trained MEDICAL REPORT are also impressive, the seven-year-old gelding having won five races this season, the most recent on September 27 when landing the Reggae Trophy (grade one) over the straight under the heavy impost of 59.5kg.

Dwight Chen's MUSICAL MAESTRO has been sparingly raced this season but has worked well in preparation for the race. With an abundance of speed present, it could well be run to suit his strong stretch-running style

While MUSICAL MAESTRO, MEDICAL REPORT and OUTSTANDING are out of the top drawer in the sprint department, the one best equipped to pull it off must be the fleet-footed three-year-old filly AHWHOFAH, from the stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta.

Well drawn on the outside at post-position 14, AHWHOFAH truly impressed last time out when slamming a good field of open allowance horses over 1300 metres, stopping the clock in the very smart time of 1:17.1.

What's more, the bay filly by Royal Minister out of Executive Profile has been burning up the track in the mornings, turning heads at exercise last Monday by galloping six furlongs in 1:12.0. Before that (October 28), she galloped 5 1/2 furlongs in an eye-popping 1:05.1, the last five in 59.1.

Given the sex allowance from the older colts and geldings and also a further concession for three-year-olds, AHWHOFAH will not go down easily from the convenient mark of 53kg. She should provide champion jockey 'Hot' Walker with his first win in this prestigious race by taking control at the halfway stage and staving off OUTSTANDING, MEDICAL ACCOUNT and MUSICAL MAESTRO.

- Orville Clarke