Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
THE ANNUAL renewal of the $150,000 - $130,000 claiming race for the Colin Melhado Memorial Cup over 1200 metres is the feature event at Caymanas Park today.
With 11 declared to face the starter, the race promises keen competition with as many as seven of the starters having some claims for top honours.
The main hopefuls are SALSA, BLOODY MARY, PROUDEST NATIVE, POLISH STAR, GUARDING ANGEL, COUNTER STORM, NEST OF BIRDS and CHADD THE MASTER.
The 5-y-o mare BLOODY MARY is coming off a recent win over 1400 metres and despite reverting to the shorter distance of this race, can definitely make it two in a row in present frame of mind.
BLOODY MARY has the pace to race in touch of the expected leaders THAT'S GOLD, SALSA and NEST OF BIRDS before storming through in the last furlong.
The five-year-old mare from the stables of Andrew Nunes looks nicely in with 51.0kg thanks to apprentice Paul Francis 4.0kg claiming allowance. In light of this, coupled with the fact that Francis has been riding very well, BLOODY MARY will not go down easily in a race of this nature.
Both NEST OF BIRDS and CHADD THE MASTER have been laid out for this particular trophy and either could come out on top.
NEST OF BIRDS, to be ridden by four-time champion jockey Charles Hussey for brother Percy, has the pace to figure seriously in the outcome, especially after that promising run last Saturday when finishing a fair seventh to BUSHY PARK RAJA over the straight five course and reports even better for this race.
CHADD THE MASTER in my book is even more dangerous, especially with 1200 metres right up his street. The five-year-old gelding from the stables of Gary Subratie packs a powerful late kick and having secured a good draw on the outside of the field, could chart a trouble free run into the winners' enclosure from the convenient mark of 52.0kg. He is also down in class.
Others such as SALSA (tempting at the weights), COUNTER STORM (stepping down), PROUDEST NATIVE (if alert at the start) and GUARDIAN ANGEL (knocking at the door) are not without chances. But stretch running BLOODY MARY to win from CHADD THE MASTER, SALSA and NEST OF BIRDS is my idea of the outcome.
Other firm fancies on the card are CARDINAL LAW to stave off RUM CAKE and RUN JAN RUN in the 2nd race for made 4-y-o and up, SWIM CAREFULLY to upstage the very dangerous SCOTCHONTHEROCKS in the 3rd for three-year-olds, TIGERINTHEWOODS to catch the fleet-footed KING'S HIGHWAY in the 4th, course specialist BISTO to tag RAJMIR in the 5th, and the unbeaten DIM SUM to stave of the very fit RUCKUS in the 9th.
