CLASSY PROSPECT, racing for the first time with Shane Ellis aboard, powers home by 2 1/4 lengths as the 1-4 favourite in the sixth race for the Royal Lancaster Trophy over the round-five course at Caymanas Park last Saturday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Caymanas Park will come alive with back-to-back meets this weekend, as the Super Thoroughbred Weekend of racing kicks off with a nine-race programme today.
The card will features the Exotic Stone Creations' Legends and Veterans Jockeys race over 800 metres straight, with a purse of $1 million, along with the Power Wine Horse-Power-To-The-People Trophy race over 1200 metres.
Exotic Stone Creations Ltd is owned by the 2005 Champion Owner, Alexander Haber.
The Thoroughbred Super Weekend continues tomorrow with the 31st running of the $6 million ADL 'Blanca Nieves' Superstakes over 2000 metres, along with the Tetley Caribbean Sprint, climaxing on Sunday with the annual TOBA Yearling Sale in the official car park at Caymanas Park.
Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) director Chris Armond, who is also chairman of racing's Advisory Council, said the idea for the Super Thoroughbred Weekend was conceived by the former minister with responsibility for racing, Don Wehby, when the current board was appointed back in March.
Improve the image of racing
"Wehby saw a need to improve the image of racing and it was he who suggested a big splash for the Superstakes weekend with back-to-back race days and the sale on the Sunday," he said.
Sponsored by Power Wine, the Power-To-The-People Trophy over 1200 metres (claiming $350,000 and less) has attracted nine starters and there is something very unique about this race.
A lucky punter at Caymanas Park will get the opportunity to own a horse free of cost for up to six months (all expenses paid), during which it can be sold and the proceeds go to him.
Most of the starters in this race have good claims, including THUNDER STORM, RAJPUT, TIMOTHY SCOTT, MELINDAGATA and JET SKIER, now taking orders from trainer Neive Graham.
Any of the above is capable of winning but the one that really catches my fancy, at the weights, is the American horse JET SKIER with title-chasing jockey Paul 'Country' Francis aboard. THUNDER STORM, who beat him narrowly over this trip when they last met some weeks ago, looks the main danger.
The first-ever Legends and Veterans Jockeys race is creating a lot of buzz, even though the field has been reduced to 10 from its original number of 14, as ex-jockeys such as Donovan Lindo and Winston Ford, both of whom are based in the United States, have cancelled.
The remaining overseas-based riders flew in from Tuesday for the race, with four-time champion jockey Emilio 'Bimbo' Rodriquez the first to come, almost a week ago.
Those who arrived on Tuesday are Carl 'Duce' Morgan and Patrick Beckford (both exercise riders) from their base in Florida, along with James Douthall, who trains at Suffolk Downs in Boston, USA.
Today's line-up
They will be joined in today's line-up by Neville Anderson, one of the most popular jockeys to have ridden at Caymanas Park - before his retirement three years ago - Fitzroy Glispie, now a successful trainer at Caymanas Park, Linton Calder and Antonio Barker, who are also trainers, as well as Rory Brown and Gladstone 'Bobby' Williams.
The race offers a total purse of $1 million and is confined to native-bred three-year-olds. Indications are it will come down to a tussle involving KING FERDINAND with Rodriquez up, ROJO to be ridden by Douthall, MILESTONE with Rory Brown slated, TWIST OF FATE with Anderson up and the well-drawn DE-BACHELOR under 'Pumpkin' Glispie. All 10 runners carry 60.5kg.
My idea of the winner is the speedy TWIST OF FATE (working well) from the in-form stables of trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes. He should win from DE-BACHELOR and ROJO.
Other firm fancies are RIFLEMAN in the first race, COLONEL WALES in the third, LATIN KING in the fifth and RUNIN ON EMPTY over PATARA in the nightpan.