Reasonable Press a firm print in King’s Plate
Timeforarms swept past a game Aventura from 200 metres out to win going 1,400 metres last November. Six months later these two will do battle again in the 8th running of the $1,000,000 King’s Plate at Caymanas Park today.
The King’s Plate, a race for Open Allowance Graded Handicap three-year-olds and upward going 1,500 metres has attracted a tough and unpredictable field of 10 starters who will highlight an 11-race card. The feature is scheduled to go to post at approximately 4:50 pm with first post at 12:15 pm.
Both horses are up in grade for the first time with winning form with Timeforarms chasing his fourth consecutive win, while Aventura will be chasing his second consecutive.
When they last met Timeforarms had 2 1/2 kg advantage, but will sit at level weights today with Timeforarms still apprentice ridden (Shameree Muir up in place of Renardo McNaughton) and jockey Dick Cardenas continuing in the saddle on Aventura.
Timeforarms, a four-year-old bay colt by Twilight Time out of Armsofanangel (De Niro) bred by Rentals & Moore Ltd and owned by Gary Lee-Sin and Fitzroy Glispie who is also the trainer, will have only his the second run for the season, while on the other hand, Aventura, a four-year-old dark bay gelding by Storm Craft out of Galaxy Girl (Natural Selection) bred by Allan Flowers and prepared for the races by Gresford Smith for owner Christopher Wellington, will be taking to the track for the fourth time. This may matter little when they face the starter as both have beaten good fields on last and they continued to work well in preparation for the renewal. The condition of the race is quite favourable to both, but a fierce battle for the ascendancy could develop in the drive when the capable Reasonable Press, Typewriter, Exotic Gold and Uncle Donny come forward.
Typewriter, who was also a winner in his last race in the Grade against Exotic Gold and Sir Von, cannot be underestimated despite top weight of 57.0kg.
The Derby and St Leger winner finished a good third behind record-breaking mare Saint Cecelia going 1,300 metres when opening his four-year-old season in the month of February. Since then he has shown that he has the class to figure prominently among these after putting away a decent field in his next race going 1,820 metres.
Entering the fray for his third race of the season with top weight trainer Spencer Chung has spared no measure in putting Typewriter through his paces to be ready for the challenge. Shane Ellis, who has ridden the Robert F Chung & WPV Chung owned gelding eight times out of nine, will again ride.
Exotic Gold, another four-year-old who has been showing consistently good form among tough opposition in the grade should not be discounted. In five of six starts for the season in Open Allowance, Exotic Gold has earned in all her starts and finished second twice in her last two starts. The Wayne DaCosta-prepared daughter of He’stherealthing, owned by Alexander Haber, continues to look lively in preparation for this and the five-time champion jockey Trevor Simpson gets the call.
Last but not least is the proven campaigner in Open Allowance, the American-bred Reasonable Press to be ridden by Winston Griffiths. A five-year-old chestnut horse by Mass Media out of Reasonable Thought (Peaks And Valleys) bred by B&B Bloodstock, Marty Hughes & Desmond Ryan in the USA, Reasonable Press will face possibly his easiest task since September of last year. And being prepared by Philip Feanny for a distance which he will thoroughly enjoy, Reasonable Press could upstage his more fancied rivals by just delivering the goods after showing up so prominent going short of his best behind Saint Cecelia in the Lady Geeta a week ago.
Ones To Watch
Race 1 Border Line (Dick Cardenas)
Race 2 Terra Marique (Dane Nelson)
Race 3 Rum Punch (Dick Cardenas)
Race 4 Apache Gold (Davidan Robinson)
Race 5 St Bernard (Dane Nelson)
Race 6 Abram Star (Orlando Foster)
Race 7 Star Flyer (Shane Ellis)
Race 8 Technocat (Richard Mitchell)
Race 9 Skipaway Prince (Dane Nelson)
Race 10 Reasonable Press (Winston Griffiths)
Race 11 Last Warrior (Ruja Lahoe)