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Star-studded field for Wassy Gold Cup

Published:Tuesday | December 2, 2014 | 12:19 PMOrville Clarke
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Colin Hamilton
Colin Hamilton/Freelance photographer TYPEWRITER (left), with Shane Ellis aboard and the Paul 'Country' Francis-ridden COMMANDING CHIEF battling out the finish in the Talawah Superstakes on Saturday, November 9. Both horses, along with PERFECT NEIGHBOUR, are the main contenders for today's Post to Post Superstakes. Colin Hamilton/Freelance photographer TYPEWRITER (Shane Ellis up)
Colin Hamilton
file PERFECT NEIGHBOUR
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With the cream of the crop among the 18 entries received for Saturday's 43rd running of the Wassy Bike Gold Cup (grade one) at Caymanas Park, this popular handicap race over 1400 metres is worth going miles to see.

Indeed, it is shaping up to be the race of the year, what with recent Superstakes winner TYPEWRITER expected to start, as well as last year's winner COMMANDING CHIEF, newly crowned Caribbean Sprint champion POTCHEEN, the 2013 Derby winner PERFECT NEIGHBOUR, who was third in the Superstakes, Caymanas Invitational Mile winner PETE'SWILDONE and his versatile stable companion, UPPA TUNE.

STAR-STUDDED FIELD

The star-studded field will also include this year's 2000 Guineas and Lotto Classic (Governor's Cup) winner TALENTED TONY K, the improving three-year-old colt FRANFIELD and another high-profile three-year-old colt, BOY WONDER.

Champion trainer Wayne DaCosta is responsible for

four of the entries - PER-

FECT NEIGHBOUR, EXOTIC GOLD, ALL CORRECT and FORTUNEONEHUNDRED. Fellow trainer Robert Pearson has four entries as well - POTCHEEN, UPPA TUNE, PETE'SWILDONE and BOY WONDER.

Looking at the quality of the field, Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) racing secretary Denzil Miller Jr, said this promises to be 'the mother' of all Gold Cup races.

"Over the years, the Gold Cup has produced some close finishes, including two dead-heats for first between SMASHER and RICOCHET in 1982, and RED STAR and TRULY CLASSY two years later. With the race usually attracting the best of the sprinters and the best of the stayers, this year it

will be no different.

"Sprinters such as EROS, SAINT CECELIA and A KING IS BORN have won it and so have distance horses such as MONTE'S STITCH and RECA," he recalled.

"I am expecting a full field on Saturday and with so many stars present, is truly excited about

this year's renewal," he added.

Joint topweight with 57kg are Horse of the Year contenders COMMANDING CHIEF and TYPEWRITER, followed by PERFECT NEIGHBOUR with 53kg. All the rest, including the highly-fancied POTCHEEN, will carry 50kg.