Orville Clarke, Freelance Reporter
Superstakes winner Major Mayer a firm fancy for today's feature at Caymanas Park. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
As many as four trophies are at stake on today's 11-race programme at Cay-manas Park, chief among them the Legal Light Trophy in honour of the most beloved horse to grace the Caymanas turf.
Trained by Allan 'Billy' Williams during his 3-y-o career, and later Kenneth Mattis, LEGAL LIGHT won 27 races from 53 starts, including the 1977 Jamaica Derby and the first ever Red Stripe Superstakes in 1978. Owned and bred by the late Jack Ashenheim, LEGAL LIGHT won back-to-back 'Horse of the Year' awards in 1978 and 1979. He was often ridden by Winston Griffiths.
The $900,000 Legal Light Trophy (graded stakes) feature will be contested by six starters over the circular nine course.
supporting feature
Principal supporting feature is the 3-y-o and up overnight allowance for the Howard Hamilton Trophy over the straight five course in honour of the 2007 champion owner, while mid-level claimers ($260,000-$230,000) will line up for the 'Morty' Heron Memorial Cup over the circular nine course and bottom of the barrel claimers ($170,000) for the Roderick 'Pilot' Francis Memorial Trophy over 1200 metres to be contested by the maximum 16 starters.
The Legal Light Trophy marks the seasonal debut of last November's Megafone Superstakes hero MAJOR MAYER, who will lock horns with the 2006 St Leger and Governor's Cup (Lotto Classic) winner ALLIEDFORCE, who was fifth in the Superstakes.
Both should carry the bulk of the betting and seeing that they represent the class horses in this small field, it should come down to a straight fight between them.
Champion jockey Omar Walker is down to ride the recent Zaleucus Trophy winner ALLIEDFORCE once again from the handy mark of 55.0kg, while MAJOR MAYER has a new rider for this race, competent 3.0kg claiming apprentice Rayan Wilson, replacing the gelding's regular partner, Richie Mitchell.
mayer dropped weights
As a result of Wilson's apprentice claim, MAJOR MAYER had dropped in the weights from 60.5kg to 57.5kg. In effect, he will be allowing the recent winner ALLIEDFORCE 2.5kg and based on their running at level weights in the Superstakes, it should be close between them at the revised scales.
Preference, however, is for MAJOR MAYER who, despite racing for the first time since his unplaced effort under a big weight in the Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) Gold Cup over 1400 metres on December 8, has trained well in preparation for this trophy and will report razor sharp.
Given his superior pace, MAJOR MAYER should be able to get sufficiently ahead of the late-running ALLIEDFORCE, passing the half mile to hold him at bay in the drive.
Meanwhile, 12 have been declared for the Howard Hamilton Trophy over the straight, including the down-in-class speedster EXPLOSIVE PEAK, with leading jockey Shane Ellis riding for trainer Peter McMaster. The fleet-footed American mare has trained really well for the event and should pack too many guns for DOUBLE BOW and SMOOTHABILITY.
Other firm fancies are NUMERO UNO in the fourth, LITTLERICHBOY in the fifth, EL DIABLO in the sixth and MOST WANTED in the closing race for the Roderick 'Pilot' Francis Memorial Trophy.
