Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterA SMALL BUT competitive field lines up for today's Caymanas Park feature for the Zaleucus Trophy over 1800 metres, this confined to 3-y-o and up from the Starter I and II rating group.
The race should develop into an intriguing three-cornered tussle involving PHAREAL and the stable-companions ALEXDIMASTER and PREACH PREACHER who seeks her fourth consecutive win.
Also in the lineup is RUCKUS, the 2000 Caribbean Sprint champion who, though having the speed to lead comfortably, should find the distance taxing. The consistent ALEXDIMASTER, on the other hand, will find the distance ideal and although asked to give away lumps of weight to each of his opponents, the grey gelding cannot be under-estimated in a race of this nature.
Still, on the surface it should come down to the two fittest horses in the field - PHAREAL and PREACH PREACHER.
The Philip Feanny-trained PHAREAL last won the Owen Silvera Memorial Cup on May 25, running on well to beat subsequent winner METEOR MAN with GLORIOUS STAR third.
Stepping up to contest the valuable Chairman's Trophy last Saturday, PHAREAL ran smack into a vastly improved METEOR MAN and could only manage fourth, beaten 11 lengths behind the very smart time of 1:30.3.
Significantly, PHAREAL did not do badly in the Chairman's Trophy, as he not only finished heads on for third, 2 1/2 lengths behind the runner-up MILLIMETRE, but had the likes of reigning 'Horse of the Year' MENUDO and SIR MOHANDAS BABA behind. Now back among his peers and the trip suitable, he is confidently expected to fight out the finish.
Still, preference is for PREACH PREACHER who has gone from strength to strength this season and could now be ready for the best of them.
Owned by Cecil Charlton, the chestnut filly by Royal Minister out of Majesty, won over today's trip by seven lengths from subsequent winner CIELO MYSTIQUE on May 11 and has since chalked up two additional wins, the more recent on June 1 when leading home stable-companion HEART THROB over 1600 metres.
Back in action from the convenient mark of 52.5kg and leading jockey Trevor Simpson again riding for leading trainer Wayne DaCosta, PREACH PREACHER will not go down easily. She has the pace to track the expected leader RUCKUS for the first 1000 metres or so, before starting her winning run leaving the half mile. In the end, she should stave off PHAREAL and ALEXDIMASTER.
Other firm fancies on the card are HAWK DEH NEAR (dropped in class) to score an overdue win over his favourite trip in the third race, THE REAL McCOY (back over his pet distance) to upstage LET THE MUSIC PLAY, PROUDEST NATIVE and FULLOFIT in the fifth over the straight five course, NEST OF BIRD (reports well trained) to stave off VISIONARY in the seventh, ZEEDON (consistent) to beat front-running 3-y-o WITHALLMYHEART and FABRIKATOR in the ninth, PRINCESS ZARA (nicely in) over PALMETTO XPRESS, BINGO PRINCESS and DINACOUTE in the very knotty tenth race and KING RICHARD (back among peers) to beat THE WHITE WITCH, TROPICAL STAR and ARCO IRIS in the closing circular nine race.
