Ainsley Walters, Freelance Reporter
GOOD CITIZEN (left), partnered by jockey Leo Miller, moves away from TOBAGO, running along the rail with Devon A. Thomas astride. GOOD CITIZEN won Saturday's 10th race over 1200 metres on Digicel Derby Day at Caymanas Park. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
MR BUTCHER is set to prove his last run all wrong when he faces 10 rivals in this afternoon's co-feature, the 1500-metre Joshua Morrison Memorial Cup for four-year-olds and upwards, non-winners of two races.
The Patrick Fong-trained colt performed dismally in his last race on May 31, finishing next-to-last behind SOUND OF SPEED after going to post as the 4-5 favourite.
However, Fong had definitely asked too much of the light-framed colt, having him run one race too many in four weeks.
When MR BUTCHER went to post last time out, he was running his third race in four weeks after reporting off a five-month lay-up. In addition, his two comeback races were hard ones, beaten in driving finishes on May 3 and 17 at 1500 and 1300 metres, respectively.
Now sufficiently rested, getting a three-week break after running 23 furlongs and 25 yards in one month, MR BUTCHER should put away rivals after impressing at exercise last Friday, galloping seven furlongs 1:34.3 easily.
Weakened
The day's secondary feature, the 1200-metre Sports Journalists of Jamaica Trophy, should go to POWER CRACKER, who was highly fancied to win at 1400 metres on June 7, but weakened and finished fourth after chasing SEEDABREEZE to the final furlong.
Back at the $325,000 claiming level, POWER CRACKER should have the measure of his main rivals - BADJEROS ROSE, BONNIE'S VICTORY and INTROSPECTION.
BADJEROS ROSE should have company on the lead and won't be able to dictate the pace, making her suspect at the distance.
BONNIE'S VICTORY is down-in-class but POWER CRACKER had finished ahead of her on May 24 when both were beaten by NUMERO UNO at 1400 metres. BONNIE'S VICTORY actually started as the 2-1 favourite that afternoon, whereas POWER CRACKER went off at 17-1 and won a last-furlong duel for fifth between both runners.
INTROSPECTION has good speed and will try making all the running but bled in his last race and again at exercise last Friday morning.
Risky proposition
Elsewhere on the 12-race card, which has an $8.65 million Pick-9 carryover in addition to twin Pick-6 bets, each worth a minimum $500,000, trainer Gary Griffiths' ACCOMPONG should track and beat rival in the 1700-metre ninth event for Open Allowance runners.
Griffiths' runner is a risky proposition with his bad habit of giving away lengths at the start, but has all of 1700 metres to recover.
ACCOMPONG lost up in class among Open Allowance horses on May 31 after closing fast to beat PRINCE TERRON and PRINCESS SHEILA at the Overnight Allowance level a week earlier.
The four-year-old colt predictably swerved at the start last time out and paid the price against razor-sharp CHADMAN and GRACE MARIE, who punished him with sustained pace, keeping him third up the lane and to the wire.
However, with the distance increased, ensuring a slower pace, which should have ACCOMPONG closer down the backstretch instead of having to be rushed to catch the field, the fast-finishing colt gets the nod over the very fit GRACE MARIE.
