The 70-1 outsider PRINCESS ZANAI (No.4), with Devon A. Thomas aboard, is about to tag long-time leader DANCING SAM (right, Dane Nelson) and the favourite TOBAGO (between horses) in the ninth race over 1200 metres at Caymanas Park last Saturday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
IT'S Trainers' Association Day at Caymanas Park today, the 10-race programme featuring the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers' Association Trophy race (3-y-o non-winners of two) over 1200 metres to be contested by 12 starters.
To mark the occasion, five trainers with 20 years and over in the profession will be publicly honoured. They are Charles Morrissey, Peter McMaster, Welsh Soutar, Everal Francis and Gresford Smith.
Turning to the feature race, this will more than likely come down to a three-cornered tussle among DOLLA WIN, HONEY BUNNY and GIRLOF-MYDREAMS. The latter is owned by New Blue Limited, who won the race with THE BEST MAN last year.
A late kicking filly, GIRLOFMYDREAMS will not find the distance too sharp and following that close third to MISS EILEEN and HONEY BUNNY over 1300 metres on November 8 could get there in the nick of time with in-form Shane Ellis aboard.
Consistent winners
Still, the two expected to carry the bulk of the betting are DOLLA WIN, to be ridden by champion jockey Omar Walker and HONEY BUNNY, with five-time champion Trevor Simpson slated.
Both have been running consistently well in defeat, the Fitzgerald Richards-trained DOLLA WIN going under in a blanket finish (fourth) to THE GREY DOCTOR in the hotly contested Dr Ralston Feanny Memorial Trophy over 1100 metres when last raced on September 20.
The Philip Feanny-trained HONEY BUNNY finished a close second to MISS EILEEN recently and with Simpson replacing the sparingly used Howard Newell today, the hint should be taken.
It promises to be pretty close, but judging from his three-quarters of a length second to FIRST LADY over this trip on September 10 when having some good horses behind, DOLLA WIN, who boasts superior pace, should take a lot of catching from the number one post position.
The three-year-old son of Pat N Jac has worked well in preparation for today's encounter and none will report fitter.
HONEY BUNNY will probably chase him from some way out, but despite her consistency, she keeps finding the winning post elusive and DOLLA WIN is just preferred.
Other firm fancies on the card are STRONG DELIVERY to outfinish RED LION in the second race, RUNE to go one better at the expense of CHARLIE CHAPLIN in the fourth, MINISTEROF-JUSTICE, who was fourth to AHWHOFAH in the recent CTL Caribbean Sprint, ahead of THE QUEEN in the fifth, the well forward two-year-old debutant, THE CHIEF, in the eighth and MOUNT DIABLO ahead of FUSILIER in the ninth.