COURT YARD, running at the surprisingly good odds of 13-1 with Javour Simpson aboard, wins the eighth race for three-year-old fillies, over 1300 metres, by a length from the fast-finishing MYA'S GIRL (out of photo), at Caymanas Park last Wednesday. - photo by Colin Hamilton
Having warmed up with a seventh-place finish over the straight on Saturday, GUIDING LIGHT will prove hard to beat when stepping up to 1600 metres today for the J.W. 'Judge' Hardie Memorial Cup high-claiming feature at Caymanas Park.
Trained by Michael McIntosh, the seven-year-old bay gelding by Freshly Squeezed out of Nuclear Explosion has scored twice from 12 starts this season, the most recent over this trip on March 14 when closing strongly to beat horses of the calibre of AGUILA and HAIL THE GENIUS in overnight allowance company.
Since then, he has gone winless in seven races, but the conditions are so much in his favour this time that he should prove equal to the task with leading jockey Dane Nelson in the saddle.
After finishing a fair third to FREE FALL over 1400 metres as the 3-4 favourite on May 16, GUIDING LIGHT reported under new management last Saturday and was not disgraced in finishing five lengths seventh to MARK TO MARKET in special claiming, after missing the break.
He made late headway from well behind, over a distance short of his best, and now dropped in class and Nelson having retained the ride, the hint should be taken.
GUIDING LIGHT will find the distance just perfect and despite the sound claims of the down-in-class ROYAL BLAST, with champion jockey Omar Walker aboard, and DR STEPHANIE, who caught the eye when finishing a good third to bang-in-form RED LION at this level recently, is not too heavy with 55.0kg to rebound.
The Ian Parsard-trained five-year-old gelding ROYAL BLAST looks his principal danger, having finished a fair fourth to STAROFTHESEA over 2000 metres on June 6 in overnight company. The son of Royal Minister - Quick Burst has been kept on the move at exercise, is likely to get first run on GUIDING LIGHT and will only go down fighting from the convenient mark of 52.0kg. However, GUIDING LIGHT remains the one to beat at a mile.
Other firm fancies on the card are the luckless SKITTLE QUEEN to atone in the first race over 1820 metres; THE GUARDIAN to catch FIRST TIME LUCKY in the third race over the straight; RED SONJA who caught the eye on her recent debut to win the two-year-old race; OUR DELITE in the seventh; NATURAL ATLANTA to catch FULL FARE in the eighth; and down-in-class SECRET HIDEAWAY over recent winner DIGI N' JIGGY and FIRETRAIN in the closing Track Price Plus Dig Out Handicap for $180,000 claimers over the straight.