Maiden three-year-old colts and geldings hold centrestage at Caymanas Park today when a maximum field of 16 lines up for the Mercury Sprint over the straight five course.
Included in the line-up is the hot ante-post favourite KRONUS, to be ridden by champion jockey Dane Nelson for trainer Richard Azan. He has run well in his only two races, and with Lasix administered for the first time, is ready for that winning run.
Nicely drawn at post position 11, KRONUS has caught the eye when finishing three-quarter length third to SUPERIOR QUALITY and subsequent winner SEEKING MY DREAMS on his December 14 debut over 1200 metres and came back on Boxing Day to finish 1 1/2 lengths second to COMPUTERIZE over 1300 metres as the howling 1-5 favourite.
KRONUS actually looked the winner when leading a furlong out on Boxing Day but faltered in the closing stages and was collared by COMPUTERIZE.
The bay colt by Liquidity out of Surface To Air bled in that race and was scoped and administered Lasix for this race as a result. What's more, KRONUS has looked fluent at exercise, galloping three furlongs in 35.3 last Friday and 36.3 out of the straight as well.
Although he can expect worthwhile opposition from Gary Subratie's KING WITHIN, who was just behind him in fourth in the race won by SUPERIORITY QUALITY and the Carl Anderson-trained TURBO MACHINE CAT, who has shown definite ability, KRONUS looks sharper than both at this stage and looks the right choice, with Lasix sure to help his cause.
Also on the card is the inaugural running of the Allan E. 'Billly' Williams Memorial Trophy overnight allowance race over 1400 metres to be contested by 12 starters.
Indications are that ALL CORRECT (Shane Ellis) and the 2013 Two Thousand Guineas winner, WILLIE GOLDSMITH (Omar Walker), will fight out the finish, with ALL CORRECT from the stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta getting the nod.
ALL CORRECT has lost two close finishes in recent months, failing by a short head to beat POTCHEEN in the November 8 Caribbean Sprint Championship over 1200 metres and again by a similar margin to stable-companion ROYAL VIBES in the Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) Fan Appreciation Day Trophy over 1820 metres on January 1.
He should make amends at the expense of WILLIE GOLDSMITH and HOVER CRAFT, both ideally suited to the distance.
Other firm fancies on the card are SUPERIOR QUALITY to win the first race over 1300 metres for three-year-olds; the recently claimed PERSIAN BELLE to win for new connections in race two; BOLD AVIATOR to go one better in the third; as well as INSANE BOLT to repeat in the ninth for $180,000 claimers; and ETERNAL JOY in the closing race over 1200 metres for $180,000 claimers.