Hombre to rebound

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Down-in-class HOMBRE is poised to resume winning ways, when he takes on seven opponents in the three-year-old-and-up open allowance race over 1600 metres at Caymanas Park today, the most valuable race on the card with a purse of $786,5000.

Also on the 10-race programme is the three-year-old-and-up restricted allowance II over 1100 metres for the Titania Trophy in which 12 starters (non-winners of two) have been declared.

HOMBRE, with customary jockey Andre Martin riding for veteran trainer Noel Ennevor, has been allotted joint topweight of 57.0kg but, despite this, should prove equal to the task following his brave effort in the recent Superstakes when chasing home Triple Crown winner MARK MY WORD.

HOMBRE thus failed in his bid for a second Super-stakes, but lost no marks in defeat against an exceptional three-year-old.

The five-year-old bay gelding by Pat N Jac out of Muchacha Favourita reports in good nick and, although facing some very fit horses such as the recent winners BRASH & SASSY, THE CHIEF and BURNING CIELO, not to mention VONALMIGHTY, who has been laid out for this race, HOMBRE should prove equal to the task.

Gladiator Trophy

THE CHIEF, who recently won the Gladiator Trophy over 1400 metres in post-to-post fashion, looks the speediest in the line-up and will attempt to make all with lightweight apprentice Georgina Sergeon again in the saddle. But escaping HOMBRE over the longer distance of a mile will not be easy and it will be left to run-on horses like BURNING CIELO, to be ridden by champion jockey Omar Walker, and VONALMIGHTY with 'Jockey of the Year', Dick Cardenas, respectively, to carry the fight to HOMBRE.

Expect HOMBRE to track the leaders - THE CHIEF and Saturday's scorer BRASH & SASSY - before mounting his challenge on the outside leaving the 600-metre pole. His class should do the rest up the lane and him to stave off the Richard Azan-trained VONALMIGHTY, who has been stepped up at exercise following that fair fourth to THE CHIEF in the Gladiator Trophy.

Meanwhile, the Titania Trophy race over 1100 metres should see MARHABBA, EMERGENCE, MIRACLE RECOVERY, LEGAL LADY, DUSTY MILLY and the well-prepared SHE'S SO SWEET in contention where it matters.

The winner should be the consistent filly EMERGENCE, who failed by a neck to catch BISCAYNE STAR in a fast-run straight-five race recently. In-form Dane Nelson now has the ride. expect the Fitznahum Williams-trained EMERGENCE to upstage Dick Cardenas' mount, MARHABBA, and SHE'S SO SWEET.

EXPLOSIVE REPORT should win the second race over the straight; SWEET BROWNING in the fourth; HARLAN'S DANCER in the fifth; and RIFLEMAN in the seventh.