Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

Distinctly Irish is driven out by five-time champion jockey Winston Griffiths in the Harry Jackson Memorial Cup over 2400 metres at Caymanas Park on Boxing Day last year. - File

WINLESS in three races since scoring over 1400 metres late February, Philip Feanny's DISTINCTLY IRISH gets an ideal opportunity this afternoon to bounce back to winning ways in the Chairman's Trophy.

After carrying 60.5 kilos and posting back-to-back victories in December last year, DISTINCTLY IRISH returned in similar form in February to slam the speedy CLOCK WORK over 1400 metres, prompting pundits to declare him ready for another round of battle with Horse of the Year MIRACLE MAN in 2007.

However, Feanny's runner has so far failed to deliver on the promise shown, struggling to carry the big weight in three consecutive sprint races since.

Outsped by a lighter CLOCK WORK in March's Arthur Jones Memorial at 1200 metres, DISTINCTLY IRISH was again found wanting for speed at the distance in April's Lady Geeta Trophy, beaten into fifth place by RAMPAGE.

With the June 2 Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes a half-furlong longer, DISTINCTLY IRISH, who was closing in his two previous races, was widely expected to collar rivals but put in one of his worst runs ever by finishing next-to-last in the nine-horse line-up.

However, Feanny's runner is far from finished. He is merely getting older and is being burdened by topweight, which jades him whenever he is unable to get into the pace.

With the longer races expected at the back-end of the season, DISTINCTLY IRISH should start coming into his own and today's race must be the easiest he has had to run in years.

His stablemates, STRONG DELIVERY and REIGNING HEROINE, are stillRestricted Allowance runners, who are yet to win two races whereas Anthony Nunes' PITTACUS seems to be begging for a high-level claiming race following his dismal run at Overnight Allowance last Saturday.

That leaves Nunes' LA REINA and Fitznahum Williams' JUST SOME THOUGHTS as the only two capable of testing DISTINCTLY IRISH as they are both light with 50.0 and 52.0 kilos respectively.

LA REINA won at a mile two Saturdays ago, beating Open Allowance company but drifted badly in the stretch run to finish under the stands, confirming she will be suspect against better horses, going longer.

JUST SOME THOUGHTS finished on the heels of DISTINCTLY IRISH in March, only a length behind Feanny's runner, who placed fourth in the Arthur Jones at six furlongs.

He ran well for second behind RAMPAGE in April's Lady Geeta Trophy, beating fifth-place DISTINCTLY IRISH by almost two lengths and was again ahead of Feanny's runner in this month's Digicel Irish Stakes.

He reports light at 52.0 kilos with in-form rider Oneil Mullings aboard, but Feanny has noticeably stepped up DISTINCTLY IRISH at exercise.

The six-year-old gelding looked in great shape last week Thursday morning, as he strode six furlongs in 1:15.2, posting 1:00.3 for the final five.

Veteran big-race jockey, Winston Griffiths, the man of the moment after outfoxing his younger peers to romp the Digicel Jamaica Derby with THE BOMBER, should make no mistake with DISTINCTLY IRISH, his previous Derby winner back in 2003.