RUM TALK looks hard to beat in today's Legal Light Trophy race. - File
The top distance horses in the country face off at Caymanas Park today in the grade one feature for the Legal Light Trophy over the circular nine course.
This is one of three trophy races on the 11-race programme. The others are the 3-y-o and up overnight allowance race for the Calvin O'Sullivan Memorial Cup, also over 1820 metres and the $180,000 claiming race for the Roderick 'Pilot' Francis Memorial Trophy over 1200 metres, in which the consistent WINNING MESSAGE will prove hard to beat in a eight-strong field, despite top weight of 57.0kg.
Although attracting only six starters, the Legal Light Trophy promises keen competition among the quartet of AD INFINITUM, RUM TALK, ENGLISH STORM and the vastly improved four-year-old colt, REGAL SELECTION, who is unbeaten in three trophy races this season.
Razor sharp
The Morris Powell-trained REGAL SELECTION actually bids for his fifth consecutive win and in the process has finally found his way to the top class. He has looked razor sharp at exercise in preparation for this trophy and although looking a bit heavy with 54.0kg, cannot be underestimated in present frame of mind.
On paper it would appear that the race will resolve itself into a straight fight between the proven grade one horses AD INFINITUM, winner of the prestigious Superstakes last November and RUM TALK, who beat him in a driving finish for the Harry Jackson Memorial Cup over 2400 metres last Boxing Day.
The Anthony Nunes-trained AD INFINITUM, who carries top weight of 60.5kg and customary rider Dane Nelson, is 1.0kg better off today and it should be awfully close between them. Both will be racing for the first time since Boxing Day.
Despite this, they have been trained to the minute and being horses who run well when fresh, I see it going down to the wire.
Race lost
Carl Anderson's ENGLISH STORM won the valuable CTL Imported Mile grade one race last November and subsequently lost the Gold Cup on the wire to the fast-finishing AHWHOFAH. However, he was soundly beaten by the Philip Feanny-trained RUM TALK and AD INFINITUM last Boxing Day.
There is really little to choose between AD INFINITUM and RUM TALK, to be ridden by leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths.
I really like how RUM TALK has been prepared for this race and I take him to outfinish AD INFINITUM once again.
Other firm fancies on the card are PRIME MINISTER, who ran AD INFINITUM to a nose in the mile-and-quarter Governor General's Stakes last October, to win the Calvin O'Sullivan Memorial Cup, IMAGE DANCER in the fourth, LIGHT MY FIRE in the fifth, SERGEANT STONEHAN in the seventh and MISS PAM AND ME in the ninth.