Unbreakable gets nod in Caymanas feature
Mid-week racing returns to Caymanas Park today for the first time this season with a nine-race card highlighted by the City Of Kingston Centenary Cup going 1,600 metres.
A field of six three-year-olds and upward sporting a claiming tag — $550,000 down to $500,000 — that include native-bred four-year-olds NW4, will go to post by approximately 2:10 pm with the first post at 1:10 pm.
Though attracting a small field, lively and competitive action is set to brew in the presence of fit runners who are all capable of getting the distance. Despite the individual capabilities of each runner, the ageing Unbreakable can be the most capable on his day and is a likely prospect to take this field apart.
The six-year-old chestnut gelding son of Traditional out of the Concerto mare Onemorefashion bred at Ham Stables Ltd, last raced on December 24 of last year going 1,400 metres. During that run he had displayed positive signs that he will be much more comfortable over the longer trip, being a specialist over today’s journey.
The refreshed gelding will start some 2.0kg heavier for his strong showing when last raced. He will also race under new management, with Paul Smith as the trainer, having been claimed from his last race.
Brave Prospect, an old foe, upstaged Unbreakable over 1,600 metres when they met on October 26 last year and could once again be a strong competitor with both sitting at level weights at 55.0kg.
Notwithstanding their expected rivalry, the recent winner, the Wayne DaCosta-trained four-year-old bay colt, Ian Links, has just completed 1,600 metres in a smart 1:40.3 minutes, and only Unbreakable has bettered that time with a 1:40.2 carrying 57.0kg some six months ago.
For his smart win over the course amongst native-bred four-year-olds, NW3, Ian Links, who carried 56.0kg, will also head the handicaps among his more seasoned and senior rivals with the same weight. Champion jockey Omar Walker will remain in the irons.
Meanwhile, with the preparation for the three-year-old Classic racing season just heating up, two races for three-year-olds will be on offer. The first is a Restricted Allowance event for three-year-old non-winners of two that include imported maidens, and the other for native-bred maidens.
The Restricted Allowance race has attracted a promising crop of six native-bred three-year-olds who will go 1,500 metres for a purse of $768,000.
Though small, the field boasts runners who displayed good racing talent as two-year-olds, chief among them, Lady Faye, who ran in all three legs of the Supreme Ventures Two-Year-Old Series. Her performances include a fourth-place finish in the Cash Pot One For Me first leg and third by a neck in the second-leg Pick3 Super Challenge Trophy, while finishing fifth in the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes.
Trained by Dennis Lee, Lady Faye, coming in at a feature of 47.0kg for female apprentice Andree Powell, looks to have the liveliest shot among these to register her second career win and first as a three-year-old.
Thunderable is the only other runner of the six who took part in the Two-Year-Old Series finishing down the track in the final leg Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes.
The other runners never quite matched up to the Two-Year-Old Classic standard, but at this level of maturity should now prove quite competitive with Fearless Samurai running for only the third time — twice as a two-year-old before being sidelined.
Fearless Samurai should now get an opportunity to show his true worth as a three-year-old and should not be far away at the end against these. He has worked well for his three-year-old debut and champion jockey Omar Walker who was aboard in his two outings as a two-year-old, will continue aboard.
El Maestro is another who is expected to run well. Winning on debut over 1,400 metres, El Maestro, now going 100 metres further, is not to be denied a chance. Super Bolt, running for only the second time, remains an unknown factor and quotient. But with trainer Richard Azan calling Dane Nelson to the saddle, there is hope for a useful run.
The second three-year-old call, installed as the fifth race on the card, has attracted a good field of eight going 1,600 metres for a similar purse of $768,000. The Gary Subratie-trained and Nelson-ridden Proud Of Nuclear should easily brush aside rivals.
Ones To Watch
Race 1
Fearless Samurai, Lady Faye
Race 2
Legendary Pleasure, Junior Don, Natashadontplay
Race 3
Ian Links, Unbreakable, Brave Prospect
Race 4
Light Brigade, Iamnotfine, Sound Of Miracle
Race 5
Radical, Proud Of Nuclear, Subbie
Race 6
Twilight Cat, Conclusion, Leekout
Race 7
Mandeya, Awesome Cat, Sojourner Truth
Race 8
Coralando, Straightfromuheart, Dusseldorf
Race 9
Laguna Point, Song Bird, Lazza