Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterA LARGE FIELD comprising non-winners of two will contest today's Caymanas Park feature for the Henry George Harrison Sr. Memorial Trophy over 1300 metres, this for four-year-olds and up.
A field of 14 has been declared, from which GUNG TONG WAH, INFINITY GIRL, YO YO'S PAL. IRISH STAR, KEYSER SOZE and GLOBAL AFFAIR are the main hopefuls.
Indications are that GUNG TONG WAH and INFINITY GIRL will have a keen battle for favouritism and they could have the finish to themselves.
GUNG TUNG WAH is by far the more accomplished and, despite failing to win for the better part of a year, has run some useful races in defeat.
Best of these was her near miss over 1200 metres on May 10 when failing by a nose to catch UNFINISHEDSYMPHONY, a race in which she had YO YO'S PAL (fourth), IRISH STAR (fifth), CYCLOPS (seventh) and RUN JAN RUN (ninth) behind.
Next time out on May 17, GUNG TONG WAH finished 5 1/2 lengths sixth from a bad draw to CONQUISTADORES over the straight five course.
The four-year-old filly from the stables of Joseph Thomas has been kept on the move at exercise in preparation for this trophy and being well drawn on the outside, should use her pace to best advantage and prove hard to beat.
Title chasing jockey Wesley Henry rides her from the convenient mark of 51kg.
While I believe GUNG TONG WAH is best equipped to win a race of this nature, she can expect stiff opposition from INFINITY GIRL, IRISH STAR and the speedy YO YO'S PAL who will get the distance.
INFINITY GIRL advertised her well being as the 9-5 favourite last Saturday when finishing a length third to CARDINAL LAW over the straight five course. The 4-y-o filly by Footloose-Another Mary is at home over the distance and with top apprentice Paul Francis now slated, should make it close with only 49kg.
The biggest danger to GUNG TONG WAH, however, is IRISH STAR now running on lasix for the first.
From the stables of 'Hall of Fame' trainer Billy Williams, IRISH STAR could only manage eighth place to CARDINAL LAW a week ago, but the application of lasix is expected to greatly enhance her performance today.
What's more, she returns on the convenient mark of 48.5kg under promising apprentice Dane Nelson and with the distance just perfect, will only go down fighting this time around.
Still, all factors considered, GUNG TONG WAH looks too appealing under the conditions to be opposed. She should win from IRISH STAR, INFINITY GIRL and GLOBAL AFFAIR who seems on the rebound.
Other firm fancies on the card are GALAXY GIRL who ran well on Wednesday to go one better in the third race, LONG LONG JOURNEY with a positive change of rider (Charles Hussey) in the fourth, BOUND FOR GLORY over FRANCESCA'S DREAM and JIG YOUNG in the knotty fifth race, BAY SAVAGE, ZULU PRINCESS to catch stable-companion BLACK THATCH in the ninth race for overnight allowance horses and CHATTANOOGA STAR in the closing race for $100,000 claimers.
