Ainsley Walters, Gleaner Writer

ME LLAMO, up in class for this afternoon's Altamont V. Armond Memorial Cup at 10 furlongs, won too strong at 1820 metres on December 17 to be opposed at a similar distance.

Conditioned by Alden Francis, the seven-year-old mare made all at 1820 metres on last, losing several lengths when bolting down the backstretch before lightweight jockey Patrick Henry Jr corrected her leaving the half-mile.

At the end, ME LLAMO was 12 lengths clear of MAN OF HONOR, her second impressive win at a distance in two months.

She had also made all at 2000 metres on October 8, slamming MARKET BRIDLE and EL PEQUENO in quick splits down the backstretch.

Moving up from $250,000 to $325-$295,000 claiming, ME LLAMO faces the likes of GETAWAYBOY and BONNIE'S VICTORY, who are both slipping down in class in the seven-horse field.

However, GETAWAYBOY ran too poorly at 1820 metres on Boxing Day to get the nod, finishing way down the track behind JACK N DBOX.

BONNIE'S VICTORY ran prominently for seventh behind DR STEPHANIE at a mile on December 17, turning for home second by four lengths, but the event was clocked in a slow 1:42.4, with a crawling split of 49.4 for the first half-mile.

However, the drop in class makes BONNIE'S VICTORY a major threat to ME LLAMO, as she was a winner in her previous race against $325,000 claimers, convincingly beating HARMONICS and LATIN KING at a mile.

ME LLAMO faces a tough task against the up-in-class 48 kilos BONNIE'S VICTORY but is light and fit enough to match the pace of her heavier rival, who will carry 54.0 kilos, and should be found wanting in the stretch run.

Meanwhile, the champion pair of trainer Wayne DaCosta and jockey Omar Walker has a four-timer lined up on the nine-race card, including speedy MR SKILL in the 1200-metre eighth event for overnight allowance runners.

The duo is all set to open the programme with American-bred DIABOLICAL KID at 1000 metres straight, before returning to land the third at 1200 metres with SHE'S MAGIC.

After landing the eighth with MR SKILL, who returns off a near five-month lay-up, the DaCosta-Walker combination should round off their tally with SKETEL in the ninth at 1300 metres.

MR SKILL last raced on August 16, ripping 57.4 for 1000 metres straight, recording his only victory as a three-year-old from four starts.

It was a disappointing year for MR SKILL, who ended his two-year-old season in 2007 poised to claim a spot among the country's top sprinters.

However, his recent exercise reports indicate signs of greatness, 1:04.3 for five and a half-furlong last Sunday morning.

MR SKILL is set to carry that form into today's race, blinding speed, which should leave rivals for dead from the gate.

His stablemate, MARK TO MARKET and Heaton Thomas' DANCING SAM are the next quickest pair in the nine-horse field, but both are drawn down along the rail whereas MR SKILL will be breaking widest, having no traffic to deal with heading into the half-mile turn.

That definitely gives MR SKILL a major advantage, handing Omar Walker a chance to breeze DaCosta's runner, who weakened at 1100 metres in three races as a three-year-old before winning at 1000 metres straight.

Having won as far as 1300 metres as a two-year-old, MR SKILL should get the distance and will have to be caught.

DANCING SAM did pretty well to get within a half-length of ALNASKRA at 1000 metres on December 17, closing strongly inside the final half-furlong.

14 lb lighter

He returns 14 lb lighter and will be closing as a team with THE QUEEN, who was a half-length away in third place.

However, MR SKILL's speed should have him way out in front, cruising unmolested, forcing his rivals out of their natural pace.