Fly with Hover Craft in Howard Phillips Memorial
ELIZABETH DaCosta’s bay gelding Hover Craft, once highly thought of after winning the prized SVL Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes but disappointed as a three-year-old, looks all set to get his winning career back on stream when he competes against a manageable field in today’s Howard Phillips Memorial Trophy feature at Caymanas Park.
The Restricted Allowance call among native-bred four-year-old and upward (NW3) is the fifth race on the 10-race card that has attracted a field of nine going 1,100 metres for purse money of $516,000.
Post time for the Howard Phillips highlighter is set at approximately 2:25 pm with first post at 12:20 pm.
After winning native-bred two-year-olds most prized race, Hover Craft failed to justify his classification among Overnight Allowance company as a three-year-old and as a result returned to competitive racing as a four-year old down in grade on January 25 in search of his first win .
Prepared by the leading trainer Wayne DaCosta, Hover Craft once again showed immediate signs of comfort among Restricted Allowance and posted an encouraging 1 1/2-length third place finish going over straight course. His time of 59.3 seconds gave ample reason to believe that the gelded son of He’stherealthing out of Royal Pizzaz (Royal Minister) bred by Mark & Susan Wates has now found his company and being a lot better prepared, he should turn the form around.
Title-chasing jockey Dick Cardenas, who was astride Hover Craft in his grand final two-year-old effort again gets the call.
His only danger, if there is any lurking among his rivals, could present itself in Diamond Princess, the mount of the champion jockey Dane Nelson.
Nelson has already piloted the WB Racing-owned Diamond Princess to a good win over the trip and the four-year-old filly being herself well drilled could prove competitive to the final stride.
To add to the intrigue will be Rastaraven, the mount of Trevor Simpson, Uncle G under Richard Mitchell, and Awesome Code with Shane Ellis in the irons.
Ones To Watch
Race 1 Janiboutice (Dane Nelson)
Race 2 Premium Return (Ruja Lahoe)
Race 3 Our Creation (Andre Martin)
Race 4 Song Of Freedom (Dane Nelson)
Race 5 Hover Craft (Dick Cardenas)
Race 6 Dutchrow (Shamaree Muir)
Race 7 Breath Of Life (Richard Mitchell)
Race 8 Semper Fidelis (Richard Linan)
Race 9 New Kingston (Dane Nelson)
Race 10 This Is It (Dick Cardenas)