Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer 
LITTLE WASP is pushed out by Jason Simpson to win the opening race for two-year-olds over the 1000 metres round at Caymanas Park on Wednesday. LITTLE WASP was one of three winners for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Grade one horses hold centre stage at Caymanas Park today when they contest the $900,000 Viceroy Trophy race over 1800 metres feature event on the 10-race programme.
The race is run annually in honour of the three-time 'Horse of the Year', who won the Triple Crown in 1989. THE VICEROY passed away early this year at age 22 on the farm where he was born - Orange Valley Estates in Trelawny.
Also on the 10-race programme is the Mark Twain Trophy, secondary feature over 1600 metres, confined to native and imported three-year-olds and up. This has attracted six starters and with the likes of REGAL SELECTION, STAR OF THE SEA and the recent winners MINISTEROFJUSTICE and GABROUSHE boasting rich form, it should be an interesting contest despite the small field.
The same is true of The Viceroy Trophy in which the quartet of RUM TALK, IVAN THE TERRIBLE, hat-trick seeker AD INFINITUM and last year's Superstakes winner, MAJOR MAYER, should make it a closely contested affair.
The Anthony Nunes-trained AD INFINITUM has the best form to recommend, having won his last two races in decisive fashion, both in fairly good times. The six-year-old bay gelding by Pangur Ban out of Infinity, won the Joseph Ashenheim Memorial Bowl over 2000 metres in the good time of 2:07.2 on July 26.
Stepped up
Four weeks later, he stepped up to open allowance company and duly won the Nigel B. Nunes Memorial Trophy over 1820 metres in the smart time of 1:55.0, breezing home by three lengths from the then favourite, ACCOMPONG.
Although stepping up in class to vie for this trophy, AD INFINITUM is so well within himself that he will only go down fighting with in-form Dane Nelson again in the saddle.
Others such as IVAN THE TERRIBLE, RUM TALK and MAJOR MAYER should also enter the reckoning in the seven-strong field.
Strictly at the weights, the Arnold Rambally Jr trained IVAN THE TERRIBLE has the most appeal, especially with connections opting for champion jockey Omar Walker.
The four-year-old colt signalled his return to form when failing by a neck to tag the season's top distance horse ALLIEDFORCE in the August 6 Prime Minister's Stakes over 2000 metres, a race in which he was involved in a bumping match with ACCOMPONG from early in the straight. Despite this, he rallied nicely in the closing stages to make it close.
Having worked well on Monday morning, IVAN THE TERRIBLE, who will go 3.0kg overweight for the services of Walker, gets the nod over AD INFINITUM in what should be a close finish.
Other firm fancies on the card are REGAL SELECTION to catch old rival MINISTEROFJUSTICE in the Mark Twain Trophy, MARKET BRIDLE in the fourth, LADY RAKWALAAY in the sixth, NATURALLY ROYAL in the ninth and RISING HURRICANE in the 10th and final.
