Princess Annie to slam rivals

At first glance, the Wayne DaCosta-trained three-year-old filly LUANA appears to be a ready-made winner of tomorrow's second race, the opening event of the Sunrise-6. LUANA won impressively in maiden company on May 26, while clocking 1:23.2 for 1300 metres, and in two subsequent races she was not disgraced behind My Super Girl over 1100 metres on June 2 and Super Sparkle on June 16.

However, LUANA failed to complete a June 30 1200-metre race, which was won in a fast 1:10.4 by Hilly's Halo, and has now been dropped to the lowly $180,000 claiming group. She has done very little on the exercise track since that last race, and it suggests that all is not well with the Casual Trick - Diamondntheruff offspring.

Better Bet

The race-fit MR COOKIE is a better bet in this opening race. He has been competing against lesser company but advertised his fitness in his last two starts with strong performances behind LITTLE BIG HORN and PRINCESS CAULA.

He finished second by 23 lengths to LITTLE BIG HORN, but the run was much better than the final placing suggests. He chased the winner, now campaigning in $550,000 claiming, for a long way behind splits of 48.1x1:13.1 and is the choice in a field where the majority of the horses have been running well below their best forms.

BLOOD SONG, to be ridden by veteran jockey Shane Ellis, is a banker in Race Three for non-winners of two over 1700 metres. He finished fast behind Flowers Thirty in a 1400 metres race on Emancipation Day, and the four-year-old gelding should really appreciate the extra 300 metres.

Race Four is a knotty 1000 metres round race for four-year-olds and upwards non-winners of three. ZI BEAST, AMAR, UNCLE FREDDIE, and TOUGH COOKIE have all been showing good form, but my selection is TOOT THE BLUES. The four-year-old filly is a more resolute galloper than all the aforementioned horses and should stay close to the expected pacesetter ZI BEAST before taking charge in the final 200 metres.

PRINCESS ANNIE in the fifth for two-year-old maidens over 1000 metres round has classic potential written all over her and should win on a canter. The Wayne DaCosta-trained filly is a half brother to Future King, who won the 2015 Jamaica Two-year-old Stakes in 1:38.4. This filly has been working well and is even more fashionably bred than Future King. Her sire is Northern Giant, a horse who was 12th in the 2010 Preakness Stakes in the United States.

The last two Sunrise-6 races should go to PARAJET (knocking at the door) and SUPER SPARKLE.

SUPER-SELECTIONS

2. MR COOKIE

3. BLOOD SONG

4. TOOT THE BLUES

5. PRINCESS ANNIE

6. PARAJET

7. SUPER SPARKLE

elton.tucker@gleanerjm.com