No stopping Sir Budget

THIS afternoon's open allowance sprint is deju vu for SIR BUDGET, who won his last race in the same class, same distance, same jockey and what should turn out to be the exact weight carried last October when clocking a lightning-fast 58.3 for 1000 metres round.

The speedy six-year-old has caught the handicaps against five slower rivals, coming in at the bottom of the scale, 51.0 kilos, with hot champion apprentice and leading rider, Anthony Thomas, booked to further slip two kilos at the minimum distance.

Though he won't be able to claim his full apprentice allowance, Thomas should easily make 50.5 kilos, the signature weight he has been using to wreak havoc on the jockeys' colony since the back end of last year, and has him eight winners clear of Shane Ellis in this season's title race.

EASY WIN

SIR BUDGET easily beat DWYANE STAR and RAS EMANUEL in October before ambitiously going off to contest the grade one Caribbean Sprint and Diamond Mile.

Returning in February, he found himself with 57.0 kilos, a 10lb penalty, allowing weight to MONEY MAGNET, who had beaten him in the Caribbean Sprint. That was followed by another impossible task, carrying 56.0 kilos, giving SIEMPRE BUENO weight at 1000 metres straight.

With those two ridiculous allotments out of the way, SIR BUDGET was eased to 53.0 for his last assignment, April 14, going 1200 metres. He shot out of the gate and mixed it up for a half-mile with in form SIMPLY THE BEST, with whom he sat level and disputed the lead to the last furlong and a half.

Running six pounds lighter this afternoon, SIR BUDGET's only threat on the lead should be ZEPHYR, who has been fitted with blinkers, signalling her connections' intentions.

However, SIR BUDGET remains one of the quickest horses on the books at Caymanas Park, routinely spitting out sub-46.0 half-mile splits in almost every race he contests, whereas ZEPHYR is known to be a step or two slow from the gate at times.

ANOTHER BULLET is also coming revved up, fitted with a visor by Patrick Lynch, but his chances will depend on the pace coming back, which is not likely with SIR BUDGET carrying a feather at the minimum trip.

Wayne DaCosta's pair of ARMAGEDDON and LOTTERY TICKET are both up in class after winning their first overnight allowance races with a baptism of speed ahead of them.

Thomas, who reeled off a four-timer on Wednesday, including a hat-trick, has a cool head and is no stranger to SIR BUDGET, having been aboard the speedster for his October victory, plus a battling five-straight win against CHOO CHOO BLUE last July.