Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Open-allowance horses take the spotlight at Caymamas Park today, when eight face the starter over 1700 metres for a purse of $605,000.

Although this is the most valuable race on the card, the feature is in fact the $350,000-$300,000 claiming race for the Reca Trophy over 1400 metres, to be contested by 11 starters.

Being the last race on the programme, it will come under the umbrella of the Track Price Plus 'Dig Out' Handicap (No. 25), which offers cash incentives to owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms.

The field for the open-allowance race includes last year's Superstakes winner AD INFINITUM, the 2006 Governor's Cup and St Leger winner ALLIEDFORCE, REGAL SELECTION, who won his first three races early in the season, as well as the imported horses WAP and SHANGHAI PASS.

Not hard trained

The classy six-year-old ALLIEDFORCE (Omar Walker up) is out for the first time in 13 months and although leaving us with impressive form in winning his last four races, has not been hard trained to meet this engagement and will more than likely need the race, especially with top weight of 57.0kg.

AD INFINITUM ran on late when a close fourth to Derby winner HE'S REALLY OK in the Prime Minister's Stakes over 2000 metres on August 6. The seven-year-old gelding, who is without a victory in three races this season, can definitely come into his own and notch his first victory since the Superstakes last November.

Still, the race more than likely will come down to a straight fight between the Americans WAP and SHANGHAI PASS, trained by Percy Hussey and Gary Subratie, respectively.

WAP has the services of bang-in-form jockey Paul 'Country' Francis and this is a big plus in her favour. The four-year-old filly has caught the eye at exercise in preparation for this race, and having finished a close fourth (staying on) to the American filly HONEYOFALADY in the BG & LC Trophy race over 1400 metres recently, she will only go down fighting from the convenient mark of 51.0kg.

Fast splits

Preference, however, is for SHANGHAI PASS, who has run some good races in defeat, notably his length third to AHWHOFAH in the Caymanas Park 50th Anniversary Trophy over 1400 metres on August 22 and his good fourth to the Guineas and Oaks heroine SAINT CECELIA, in the fast-run Seek Exercise Book Trophy over 1300 metres last Saturday, when chasing the winner into the straight behind fast splits.

Given this milder pace, SHANGHAI PASS should be able to regulate the tempo from in front with 56.0kg and still have enough in reserve to stave off WAP and AD INFINITUM.

Five-time champion jockey Trevor Simpson, who rode him in the race won by AHWHOFAH, is back in the saddle.

Other firm fancies are RAJPUT (consistent) in the Reca Trophy, HONEY BUNNY in the second, KING'S LAW in the fourth, FAREED in the fifth, and THE BEST MAN to complete the hat-trick in the eighth.