Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

TWENTY NINE, one of three winners for champion jockey Omar Walker, sprints clear of rivals to win the ninth race over the straight-five course at Caymanas Park on Saturday. Trained by Alden Francis, TWENTY NINE won at odds of 5-2. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

ONE OF the longest standing trophy races on the calen-dar, the Long Shot Trophy over 1300 for bottom of the barrel claimers ($170,000), is the feature event at Caymanas Park today.

Run in honour of the celebrated '60s F Class campaigner Long Shot, who once held the record for most career starts, the race dates back to the early '70s when owner Alex Hamilton donated the trophy in honour of the Eileen Cliggott-trained horse.

NIJINSKY'S WAR can show his appreciation for a drop in class by landing today's renewal.

The mount of five-time champion jockey Trevor Simpson, NIJINSKY'S WAR is one of 14 starters down to contest the race and while he can expect stiff opposition from the likes of recent winners ABOUNDING GRACE, VALID REASON and WHEELS OF LAW, along with COMMON 'D', KING AL and KEELER, could well be a cut above this level.

Good form for race

Although he would prefer another furlong, NIKNISKY'S WAR will be at home over the distance in present company.

His form coming into the race is not bad either, having finished 4-1/4 lengths third to SOY MUJER in the CTL Claiming series No. 2 over 1820 metres on February 29.

When last contesting a $170,000 tag on January 12, NIJINSKY'S WAR finished a close second to MEDIC ON BOARD over 1600 metres and, despite the presence of his old rival, really has little to fear.

Trainer Enos Brown has the eight-year-old son of Kammtarra-Bacchanal in good nick and despite the sound claims of the front-running ABOUNDING GRACE, who will have to be caught, along with the free-running VALID REASON, who again has the services of champion jockey Omar Walker and the ever-dangerous COMMON 'D', NIJINSKY'S WAR will not go down easily from the convenient mark of 53.0kg.

Best proposition

ABOUNDING GRACE, under leading jockey Shane Ellis and the useful but unpredictable COM-MON 'D', will be particularly dangerous in a race of this nature. The Everald Francis-trained ABOUNDING GRACE made all convincingly over the round five course on February 20 and will not be inconvenienced by the longer distance. If she can poach a good lead coming into the straight, she might just have enough left in the tank to stave off rivals. But NIJINSKY'S WAR is still the best proposition in a race of this nature.

Other firm fancies on the card are the front running TRUE HONOUR to make all in the opening 1400-metre race where old rival SHE'S OUTRAGEOUS looks to be his principal danger, SHAKE YOUR BOOTY to go wire to wire at the expense of BLUE MARLIN in the second race over 1200 metres, NUMERO UNO to go one better in the fifth race over the round five course and RIO INFINITO who caught the eye when finishing third to CRUCIAL POINT in a fast-run straight five race, recently, to stave off FELICIDAD in the seventh and the progressive SMOOTH DUDE to romp the ninth.