Orville Clarke, Freelance Reporter

ALSAFRA, with Brian Harding up, winning the Jamaica Oaks on April 26. - file

Fifteen horses were yesterday declared at the overnight stage for the 88th running of the Jamaica Derby, sponsored by Digicel, at Caymanas Park on Saturday.

The draw was done live in the Trainers' Room at Caymanas Park at 2:30 p.m. with the trainer of each horse or his representative selecting the post positions.

The draw, which departed somewhat from the usual process, was conducted by Caymanas Track Limited's (CTL) racing secretary Denzil Miller Jr, assisted by deputy racing secretary Kingsley Gentles, along with operation steward Eustace Williams and Maurice Bryan, sponsorship and promotions manager of Digicel.

A notable absentee from the original list of 16 entries is the recent Lotto Classic (Governor's Cup) winner IT IS I.

Classy

Her trainer, Anthony 'Baba' Nunes, disclosed: "She is scheduled to undergo operations on her two stifles ... nothing major, but it came too close to the Derby."

Despite her absence, Nunes will have two runners in marginal ante-post favourite ROYAL IMAGE, coming from post position five with customary jockey Shane Ellis riding for leading owner Elias Haloute, and EVANDER, the mount of Jamaican-born Florida based jockey Leroy Nelson, who will be riding at Caymanas Park for the first time. EVANDER, who is part-owned by Haloute, will run from post position eight.

The classy filly ALSAFRA, who along ROYAL IMAGE are top contenders for the mile and a half classic - with a purse of $5 million (up from $4.25m) - has drawn post position 12 with two-time champion jockey Brian Harding again riding for co-owners Sharman Clachar and Norman Gordon and trainer Fitznahum Williams.

ALSAFRA, winner of the Jamaica Licensed Bookmakers 1000 Guineas and also the Bigga Jamaica Oaks in April, is one of two fillies in the field. The other is the Allan 'Billy' Williams-trained STAR OF THE SEA with appren-tice Andre Martin slated.

Programme

The 15 native bred three-year-olds declared in the order which they were drawn are as follows: No 1. LITTLERICHBOY (Oneil Mullings), followed in numerical order by MINISTEROFJUSTICE (Richard Mitchell), COMMAN-DER ZERO (Omar Walker), MR. BLAIR (Allen Maragh), ROYAL IMAGE (Shane Ellis) at No. 5; PERFECT CIRCLE (Devon A. Thomas), GAMBOA (Larris Allen), EVANDER (Leroy Nelson), LEONIDAS (Winston Griffiths) at No. 9; REGAL SELECTION (David McKenzie), WHEEL N DEAL (Dane Nelson), ALSAFRA (Brian Harding) at No. 12; STAR OF THE SEA (Andre Martin), JOSIE WALES (Trevor Simpson) and No. 15 GOOD HOPE (Andron Findley).

The mammoth Derby Day programme will feature 14 races with an earlier than usual post time of 11:00 a.m. in order to facilitate so many, including the $1.5 million Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes (grade one) over 1300 metres.