Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterTODAY's 11-race programme at Caymanas Park offers four trophy races, including the principal feature for the Ambassador's Trophy to be contested by six Starter Handicap 1 & 2 horses over 1700 metres.
Also on the card are the $200,000 - $180,000 claming for the Portmore Community Trophy over 1100 metres, the second running of the straight five 3-y-o maiden race for the Percival Martin Memorial Cup and the straight five optional claiming for the Professor Thomas Tobin Trophy, this in honour of the distinguished veterinary pharmacologist and toxicologist from Lexington, Kentucky. The visiting Professor was guest speaker at the Jamaica Racing Commission's National Consultation on Lasix at the Conference Centre on Thursday.
Leading trainer Wayne DaCosta holds a very strong hand with four of the six starters in the Ambassador's Trophy, namely: HEART THROB, METEOR MAN, ALEXDIMASTER and recent winner DE BARREL COME now up from claming company. Outside of this quartet, PHAREAL from the Philip Feanny stables and the free running grey mare SEDUCTION should ensure a highly competitive race, despite the small field.
DaCosta will more than likely provide the winner and on past performances, ALEXDIMASTER has a glorious chance from his convenient mark of 53.0kg. The six-year-old grey gelding beat a good field under topweight of 57.0kg over a mile on March 13 and despite running below par in two subsequent races, he can rebound at the expense of HEART THROB and front running topweight METEOR MAN.
METEOR MAN and SEDUCTION are renown front runners and as such they could set up the finish for either ALEXDIMNASTER or lightly raced HEART THROB who is almost sure to race close up to the leaders. ALEXDIMASTER is not without good pace, but with faster horses blazing the trail, his known finishing speed should seal the issue in the last furlong.
True, ALEXDIMASTER was well behind HEART THROB when the 4-y-o filly lost by a nose to stable-companion GLORIOUS STAR over 1500 metres on April, but he was burdened with topweight of 57.0kg that day his performance was not surprising. Prior to that, ALEXDIMASTER beat GLORIOUS STAR into third place on March 13 when toting 57.0kg. He can score yet another win among the second eleven with conditions again in his favour. Visiting Trinidadian jockey Brian Harding has the ride.
I also like CHECK ME OUT to notch her fifth win of the season in the Portmore Community Trophy to be contested by six starters, this at the expense of recent winner SILVER STREAK; EXCLUSIVE JOY to upstage ROAD CODE in the Professor Thomas Tobin Trophy and the well forward debutant ST. TROPAZ to beat super fit THAT'S GOLD in the Percy Martin Memorial Cup.
Other firm fancies - QUICK MEDIC in the third, the stable-companions GENERAL VERRAZANO (4th) and WAKONDA (6th) and THE ARABIAN KNIGHT (9th).
