Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

CITY FLIGHT, who won impressively on her debut five weeks ago, looks all set to follow up in the two-year-old feature for the Dye Job Trophy at Caymanas Park today.

Run over 1200 metres, the race offers a total purse of $865,000. It is confined to imported two-year-olds and nine are slated to face the starter.

This race is run annually in honour of the crack American filly DYE JOB, who was 'Horse of the Year' in 1985 when conditioned by trainer Vin Edwards and often ridden by four-time champion Emilio 'Bimbo' Rodriquez.

DYE JOB, who held four track records in her heyday, is widely regarded as one of the 10 best horses to race at Caymanas Park in 50 years of Independence. She won races from five furlongs to a mile and is a Hall of Fame inductee.

CITY FLIGHT, to be ridden by four-time champion Omar Walker for in-form trainer Gary Subratie, faces only one serious opponent in FORTUNEONEHUNDRED, with champion jockey-designate Dane Nelson riding for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta.

Looking good

Both have looked razor sharp at exercise in their preparation.

FORTUNEONEHUNDRED really caught the eye last Friday morning when galloping 5^1/2 furlongs in a brisk 1:07.0.

The chestnut gelding has scored once from two starts, beating LITTLE MAMA MIA by all of 11 lengths over 1100 metres on September 15. He covered the distance in the fairly good time of 1:07.2, but CITY FLIGHT also beat LITTLE MAMA MIA convincingly on her debut over the same distance on November 3, only her time was a very fast 1:06.1.

CITY FLIGHT also impressed at exercise when galloping five furlongs on the round course in 59.0 on November 25, and in receipt of 2.0kg from FORTUNONEHUNDRED, she catches my fancy from the outside post position. I am expecting her to make all.

Elsewhere on the 10-race programme, the progressive American 3-y-o colt EL PONDEROSO should extend his winning streak to four when he contests the opening open allowance race over 1200 metres, in which six have been declared.

Trained by 14-time champion Philip Feanny, EL PONDEROSO has been winning in fast times, his most recent coming over 1300 metres on October 13 when clocking a smart 1:17.2 in overnight allowance company. The 3-y-o colt continues to move nicely at exercise and ought to be followed with outgoing champion jockey Dick Cardenas sitting at the convenient mark of 52.5kg.

I also like Cardenas aboard HERBIOUS CORPUS to upstage SAGA BOY in the third race, LADY ABHIJITA (sixth), MILITARY MOVE (seventh) and Feanny's KIPLING WEEKEND to rebound in the ninth.