Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The three-year-olds take centre stage at Caymanas Park today in the $1 million Thornbird and Prince Consort (trials) Stakes for the upcoming Guineas classics, both over 1400 metres.

With classy MISS RUTH from the stables of Percy Hussey, one of 11 fillies declared for the Thornbird Stakes, indications are she will pack too many guns for rivals.

Owned by Ruth Hussey, the speedy daughter of Western Classic-Theia will be racing for the first time since beating top colts THE GUMMER and BRUCEONTHELOOSE in the $3.5 million Supreme Ventures Two-Year-Old Stakes last Boxing Day, but will report as fit as hands can make her.

Too good for rivals

MISS RUTH won four of her five races last season to capture the champion two-year-old award and from the evidence at exercise, has clearly trained on from two to three. She looked razor sharp at exercise last Sunday morning when galloping five and a half furlongs in a brisk 1:07.0 easily, while she blazed five furlongs on the round course on March 2 in a smart 59.2.

As a result of her Boxing Day win against the best of her age group, MISS RUTH should not only start a firm favourite, but should prove too good for rivals with customary pilot, the Panamanian Dick Cardenas aboard.

While MISS RUTH is expected to have an easy passage, the Prince Consort Stakes - to be contested by 12 colts and geldings - promises to be a humdinger with leading lights BRUCEONTHELOOSE, stable-companion MAN A YARD, SIR VALIANT, PRINCE OF PEACE and HE'S REALLY OK.

PRINCE OF PEACE is down to be ridden by Florida-based Jamaican jockey, Wesley 'Callaloo' Henry, for trainer Richard Azan.

Many-time champion trainer, Philip Feanny, holds a strong hand with the pair of BRUCEONTHELOOSE (recent fast-time winner of the Ash Wednesday Trophy) and the lightly-raced, but very promising MAN A YARD, both of whom impressed in victory last time out.

The Feanny pair caught the eye at exercise last Saturday morning in a six-furlong gallop together, with 'BRUCE' beating his less experienced stable companion by a length in a brisk 1:13.1.

Close race

With BRUCEONTHELOOSE down to carry top weight of 57.0kg under leading all-time jockey Winston 'Fanna' Griffiths and MAN A YARD looking real tempting at the weights, with only 51.0kg and title-chasing jockey Paul 'Country' Francis aboard, it should be real close between them.

If MAN A YARD is to have any chance in the 2000 Guineas in three weeks' time, he should be good enough to upstage BRUCEONTHELOOSE at these weights.

SIR VALIANT, who has looked progressive in winning back-to-back races in recent weeks, now has the services of big-race jockey Dane Nelson and could pose a real threat to the Feanny pair. But with Lasix now administered, MAN A YARD is just too light to lose.

I also like SAINT CECILIA to win the second race, COMMANDER ZERO (working exceptionally well) in the second, HAIL THE GENIUS in the fifth, RHOSA KLEBB in the eighth and MINISTEROFJUSTICE over old rival SUPER DAVE in the 10th.