Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter

THE BOMBER ... out to complete a fairytale today in the St. Leger. - File

TRAINER PATRICK Lynch's unbeaten Cinderella horse, THE BOMBER, is the favourite on the ground at Caymanas Park, among grooms and smaller barns, to add this afternoon's Jamaica St. Leger to his June 2 Jamaica Derby victory.

No longer an underdog as hewas when winning the Derby at odds of 4-1 in his third career start, all three within less than a month, THE BOMBER has since become the most talked about horse in local racing.

The horse who spent months being moving from barn to barn at Caymanas Park before Lynch was asked to take a look at him by his owner, is now the ante-post favourite for the 10-furlong Classic.

It was the second straight year that a horse from a small barn won the Derby after Eraldo Fullerton's RANSOM MAN's victory in 2006.

However, RANSOM MAN failed to add the St. Leger to his resume, a feat THE BOMBER looks set to complete.

Since winning the Derby, THE BOMBER has come on a ton at exercise, working brilliantly, whereas his main rivals, Derby runner-up RUM TALK and third-placed MUCHO GUSTO, have done nothing spectacular.

Instead, their connections are banking on jockey changes, which were made after the Derby, to stop THE BOMBER.

Champion jockey Brian Harding has arrived in the island to partner Anthony Nunes' MUCHO GUSTO, replacing Paul Francis, and the veteran Charles Hussey has been called in by RUM TALK's owners, decking Trevor Simpson.

Connections of both horses believe Francis and Simpson allowed THE BOMBER an uncontested lead down the backstretch and came too late in the stretch run.

Pace and stamina

However, the rider changes will make little difference as THE BOMBER again represents probably the only horse in the race with true pace and stamina.

RUM TALK lacks speed, winning his four races from off the pace, catching a tiring MUCHO GUSTO twice at a mile.

MUCHO GUSTO has some speed, but remains highly suspect past a mile and could be committing suicide if he tries to go with THE BOMBER despite the presence of his stablemate, IL CAIMANO, a staying but slow sort, who has Simpson aboard.

Winston Griffiths, aboard THE BOMBER, is the top Derby-winning jockey not only in Jamaica but this side of the world and he will again use his horse's pace to good effect down the backstretch.

With two furlongs less to run, as opposed to the 12-furlong Derby, THE BOMBER should again run rivals into the ground, adding his own fairytale chapter to local racing.