Jockey Paul Francis, aboard MEDICAL REPORT, flashes his whip above his head while celebrating, after his mount got up in the nick of time to tag UNKNOWN VARIABLE, with Carlton Malcolm, and CHARMING LUTHER (Emilio Rodriquez), to win the third race over the straight five course at Caymanas Park on January 13. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

Today's Caymanas Park feature race for the St. Catherine Cup over 1100 metres has attracted seven starters, but what the field lacks in size it makes up for in quality.

Among the starters are the recent winners MEDICAL ACCOUNT, UNKNOWN VARI-ABLE, NUMERO UNO and ITALQUEEN, while proven cam-paigners DIESEL and DIGI N' JIGGY cannot be left out of calculations.

Also on the card is the Mercury Sprint over the straight five course, this for native bred maiden three-year-old colts and geldings.

Seven are also slated for the Mercury Sprint and indications are that victory will go to the well-forward debutante ROMEZ, a bay colt by Pat N Jac out of the Bold Executive mare Charmer For Day, to be ridden by former champion jockey Wesley Henry for trainer Richard Azan.

Bred by the Orange Valley Estates Limited, ROMEZ looked the part at exercise on Monday morning when galloping from the gates in 1:00.0 (looked well) and this full brother to the former straight five track record holder, FLYING TIGER, should get off the mark immediately with nothing really outstanding in the line-up.

The St. Catherine Cup feature promises to be keen, with the likes of MEDICAL REPORT, UNKNOWN VARIABLE, Philip Feanny's DIESEL and the Wayne DaCosta-trained DIGI N' JIGGY expected to figure seriously over this trip.

MEDICAL REPORT won over the straight five course on January 13 when getting up on the line to pip the American 5-y-o mare UNKNOWN VARIABLE by a short head, with DIESEL finishing less than a length away third in a blanket finish.

That race seemingly holds the key to the outcome and while I expect it to be pretty close once again, MEDICAL REPORT is preferred.

After finishing a close second to Gold Cup winner JUSTSOME-THOUGHTS in a fast-run (1:11.3) 1200-metre race on December 30, MEDICAL REPORT came back to score narrowly.

The nick of time

He was denied a clear run between horses when UNKNOWN VARIABLE angled across from the far side approaching the distance, but managed to get there in the nick of time just the same, thanks to an enterprising ride from Paul 'Country' Francis.

The six-year-old gelding from the stables of Noel Ennevor should be seen to better advantage on the round course and with apprentice Andre Martin's 3.0kg claiming allowance reducing the weight to 54.0kg, he should win from the lightly weighted UNKNOWN VARIABLE and DIESEL, again.

Other firm fancies on the card are SIR KHAN, now back to high claiming, to resume winning ways in the third race, LIGHT MY FIRE to romp the 4th, CORDITE to do likewise in the 5th, ZEALOT to go one better in the sixth and the recent course winner BULLET TRAIN over CALABASH BAY and KYSHA BAY in the knotty straight five race in which 12 overnight allowance horses have been declared.