By Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer 
Hussey
THE 'Horse of the Year' title will be on the line at Caymanas Park this Saturday when the best distance horses contest the rich and prestigious Red Stripe Superstakes which marks its 23rd running.
Sponsored by Red Stripe under its flagship product, this grade one invitational race to be contested by three-year-olds and up over 2000 metres, has 16 entries.
Among them are top contenders MENUDO, the reigning 'Horse of the Year' who will be gunning to win an historic third consecutive Superstakes; last year's Triple Crown winner I'MSATISFIED along with the exceptional three-year-olds MILLIMETRE, winner of the Track Price 2000 Guineas, World Talk St. Leger and recent WITRA Classic over the distance, and the filly AWESOME POWER, winner of the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Red Stripe Derby and currently the season's leading money spinner with $4.6 million in stakes.
While others such as the improving three-year-old colt PHAREAL and seasoned 'A1' campaigner COOL WATER are fit enough to figure, indications are that the race will come down to the abovementioned quartet, all champions in their own right.
Significantly, all four have one common factor: Each has been ridden to victory by big race jockey Charles Hussey this season.
Indeed, Hussey who is down to ride MILLIMTRE for champion trainer Philip Feanny, could have ridden any of the others had he committed himself to riding one of them months earlier.
As things now stand, Florida-based Andrew Ramgeet will fly in to partner MENUDO for owner/trainer Richard Azan, reigning champion Shane Ellis will also fly home from his base at Woodbine in Canada to renew his association with Patrick Chang's AWESOME POWER (they teamed up to win the Derby) while leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths is back aboard I'MSATISFIED from the Feanny camp.
But Hussey is the man best qualified to give an opinion, for obvious reasons.
"Boy... these are four really good horses. All are well trained and this is going to be one of the most exciting Superstakes finishes ever", he predicts.
"Menudo is the proven class horse over a distance of ground. He knows what is required to win this race, having won it two years in a row.
"His performance under topweight when winning the Governor General's Stakes over the distance on Heroes Day makes him a ready made favourite, but then again I could not write off I'msatisfied who ran so well in defeat behind him that day, nor for that matter the three-year-olds Millimetre and Awesome Power."
Hussey believes that MILLIMETRE, who worked well yesterday morning when beating I'MSATISFIED in a brisk 1100-metre exercise gallop clocking 1:07.0, can prove equal to the task even though pitted against genuine 'A1' horses for the first time.
"He really loves a challenge and providing all goes well with him, can use the 7lb allowance from Menudo and I'msatisfied to his advantage and prove hard to beat", said the title-chasing jockey who has secured as many as eight rides on Saturday, including three in the Red Stripe International Jockeys' Championships, not to mention top sprinter OWEN TAYLOR in the Red Stripe Caribbean Sprint.
But while expecting a smashing performance from MILLIMETRE, Hussey had some cause for concern, bearing in mind the spate of bad weather the island has been experiencing.
"I'm praying that the rain keeps away on Saturday... Millimetre is not at his best in the mud," recalling the colt's below par effort in the slush behind PEACE AND LOVE in the Lotto Classic back in May. But he's hoping and praying.
Victory for MILLIMETRE on Saturday would more than likely assure him of 'Horse of the Year' honours. The same is true of AWESOME POWER, who despite running poorly behind MILLIMETRE in the October 15 WITRA Classic over the distance, looked her old self at exercise on Sunday morning when blazing seven furlongs in 1:26.2.
I'MSATISFIED can also enter the "Horse of the Year' reckoning in a big way if he wins the Superstakes and the Harry Jackson Memorial Cup on Boxing Day. And MENUDO, who galloped six furlongs 1:13.3 Sunday morning, needs only to win on Saturday in order to secure a second straight 'Horse of the Year' award. So a lot will be riding on this Superstakes.
MENUDO looked awesome when clocking a fast 2:06.0 over the distance in the recent GG Stakes. He also acts on any going, can outstay, outkick and outsmart the very best over a distance of ground and I take this five-year-old son of The Medic - Making Peace to beat MILLIMETRE.
