THE much-advocated thoroughbred racing on a Sunday returns to Caymanas Park today with a nine-race card featuring two trophy races headlined by the annual renewal of the $715,000 Rhoel Rhoden Memorial Cup.

The Rhoel Rhoden highlighter, a maiden special weight scamper for native-bred two-year-olds going 1,100 metres, has attracted a field of nine and is scheduled to go to post at approximately 2:55 pm with first post at 12:45 pm.

The other trophy race on the card is the $615,000 O&S Tack Room Trophy, Restricted Stakes event for imported three-year-olds and upward (NW3 and maidens), and native-bred three-year-olds going 1,300 metres.

The first Sunday racing programme was staged at Caymanas on November 29, 2009 and the last on January 29, 2012.

Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), who at present operates 65 off-track betting parlours that accounts for some 70 per cent of the company’s take from local racing, will be free to open for business, but it is not mandatory for them to so do.

While CTL-operated betting shops can open their doors for business, licensed bookmakers are not allowed to do likewise under the current regulations.

The day at Caymanas Park is not only about what takes place on the track as Book Empire, LP Azar and Azan’s Super Centre have pooled resources to stage a family-oriented occasion with their back-to-school

bonanza promotion.

Book Empire, along with Azan’s Super Centre, will continue with the back-to-school equipment bonanza where purchases can be made at giveaway discounts, while LP Azar will host some 300 inner-city children at a fair on the infield with 200 from Father Richard HoLung’s Missionaries of the Poor. The other 100 children are from inner-city communities in the Corporate Area.

On the track in the Rhoel Rhoden, four of the field will be running in a competitive situation for the first time with Elite Bloodstock’s chestnut colt Franfield, the mount of champion jockey Dane Nelson, and Oakridge Farms’ grey filly All That Matters, under Richard Mitchell, appearing to be the most advanced of the lot.

Be that as it may, Elite Bloodstock’s dark bay filly Frangipani, ridden by Dick Cardenas, ran quite encouragingly on debut over the minimum trip a week ago. Frangipani, then ridden by the seldom used Delroy Beharie, was slowly into stride and did quite well to finish just 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner Mom Rules.

Returning this time on Lasix for the first time and under the former champion jockey, Frangipani is expected to be right there at the death. Another who could also come hunting to go one better is the Dale Murphy-trained Cigaretteintherain. The bay filly by War Marshall although slowly into stride on debut on July 13 was only 1 1/4 lengths adrift behind winner Gold Nut going 600 metres straight.

However, with trainer Murphy calling for the more experienced Paul Francis to replace the claiming apprentice Jodeien Anderson, with the filly showing improvement in her subsequent gallops, she cannot be taken lightly.

The Nicholas Edwards-trained bay filly Dr Dearest for owner Cedric Stewart will also report for his second outing a better animal and bred for speed with the blinkers on should be more at home now riding the bends and be much closer than on debut.

Ones To Watch

Race 1 Go To Hell (Clive Lynch)

Race 2 Midnight Launch (Dick Cardenas)

Race 3 Sahara (Ruja Lahoe)

Race 4 Andy Capp (Renardo McNaughton)

Race 5 Dr Dearest (Jevvanne Erwin)

Race 6 Live Water (Omar Walker)

Race 7 Rum Punch (Dick Cardenas)

Race 8 Uncle Donny (Dick Cardenas)

Race 9 Colla Unit (Renardo McNaughton)