Morimoto for Sunday’s Charles Hussey Trophy

PERFECTLY drawn at post-position 11 with no frightening speed close enough to claim the stands’ side, MORIMOTO should use his superior mid-race pace to dominate Sunday’s Charles Hussey Trophy at five furlongs straight.

POWER RANKING and BRINKS, drawn at stalls two and three, respectively, will try making their way to mid-track in a bid to match MORIMOTO out wide. However, Anthony Nunes’ runner should be floating on the faster stands’ side, awaiting POWER RANKING and BRINKS’ challenge, before being hustled home by Raddesh Roman, whose timing aboard leaders has been almost impeccable when let loose.

MORIMOTO’s return off a one-year break hasn’t quite gone according to plans, running smack into super-fit horses for his last three races, including an at-the-wire loss after sprinting clear a furlong out in the Caymanas Park Announcers’ Trophy at six and a half furlongs on October 29.

Having lost his chance to slip unlucky RAINSVILLE in the Track Announcers, MORIMOTO was put to the sword by the grey going a half-furlong longer on November 19, a performance Richard Azan’s grey franked on Mouttet Mile Day by storming home to collar NEO STAR in the Chairman’s Plate among unrestricted overnight-allowance company at nine furlongs and 25 yards.

Considered a classic prospect last season, MORIMOTO actually placed fourth in the 2000 Guineas behind BLUE VINYL, BRINKS and last Sunday’s Ahwhofah Trophy winner, EMPEROROFTHECATS. Stretched to 10 furlongs in the St Leger, MORIMOTO finished fifth behind BLUE VINYL, whose victory denied runner-up ATOMICA the Triple Crown.

Easily showing his class next out, MORIMOTO dismissed TRUEALSKY and OUR ANGEL at nine furlongs and 25 yards before taking another shot at classic horses in the Jamaica Derby in which he raced fourth for the entire 12 furlongs behind a charged-up ATOMICA before being relegated to fifth close home.

After creditable performances in last year’s classics, MORIMOTO’s connections expected the Casual Trick-Luckybegood colt would have already been unsaddled in the winners’ enclosure after returning from a one-year lay-up on September 2. However, I REALISE, TEKAPUNT and RAINSVILLE tortured him in three races, shackles from which he should break in the Charles Hussey.