Norblar looks good for Caymanas Park 1959

SUNDAY’s Caymanas Park 1959 mile is stacked up to be a good contest. However, NORBLAR, who returned Sunday to gallop a half-mile in 50.4, showing no ill-effects from his second-place run on Derby Day, gets the nod against ALL FOR LOVE, FROM SHEER TO BEN and imported GEOLITHIC.

NORBLAR’s fast-finishing second behind United States-bred UNCAPTURED EMPRESS at seven furlongs, on only his fourth start, suggests the colt has improved rapidly since debuting three months ago, as opposed to the filly ALL FOR LOVE, who placed third in June’s 1000 Guineas.

Cutting three lengths off UNCAPTURED EMPRESS inside the final furlong, beating GEOLITHIC and FROM SHEER TO BEN, heads-on for third and fourth, respectively, is a significant marker race for NORBLAR.

Much exposed with 14 runs under girth since debuting last October, ALL FOR LOVE got off the mark at a mile two months later before being thrown in at the deep end in the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, finishing fifth behind MOJITO, LEGIT BOSS and MAMMA MIA.

Expected to train on as a three-year-old, ALL FOR LOVE’s lack of early pace got her caught behind in races, far off leaders who were not quitting as she would have liked, leaving her with too much to do in the stretch run.

CLOSING-IN-VAIN EFFORTS

One of ALL FOR LOVE’s closing-in-vain efforts was May 22 when she charged at PRINCESS SHARON in a seven-furlong event, failing by a half-length. That afternoon, FROM SHEER TO BEN, in only his second start after winning at six furlongs on debut, was also charging late, finishing three-quarter length behind runner-up ALL FOR LOVE.

NORBLAR having FROM SHEER TO BEN behind on last suggests his improvement has him on target to keep ALL FOR LOVE a bridesmaid or yet another race, especially after her exertions in the St Leger and Jamaica Oaks, 22 furlongs of aimlessly chasing classier rivals when she could have done well being freshened for easier assignments such as the Caymanas 1959.

An example of ALL FOR LOVE possibly going dull after her Guineas run was PRINCESS SHARON finishing well ahead of her in the St Leger, placing third to THALITA and MONEY MISER. ALL FOR LOVE finished a distant last in the St Leger and was 25 lengths behind MAMMA MIA in the Oaks when next out.

Gary Subratie has removed the visor, which he had hoped would have made ALL FOR LOVE earlier in the Oaks. However, her quick turnaround after a 10-furlong run is cause for concern, especially against colts and a foreigner, GEOLITHIC, who ran improved in blinkers when getting an additional furlong behind UNCAPTURED EMPRESS and NORBLAR.