United States-bred EXCESSIVE FORCE should start favourite ahead of old rival DOUBLE CROWN in Saturday’s Alsafra Trophy at a mile.
Though both runners were beaten on May 25 by 16-1 outsider, EAGLE ONE, EXCESSIVE FORCE ran a far better race f
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Nuclear Noon, with Robert Halledeenaboard, is being led to the winners enclosure after winning Race Seven over 1400m at Caymanas Park on Saturday, May 22, 2021. (PHOTO: caymanasracing).
NUCLEAR NOON won in workman-like fashion but BIG JULE showed signs of inexperience to finish third behind the filly, AMY THE BUTCHER, and RUSTY in Saturday s last-chance races for 2000 Guineas hopefuls to strut their stuff ahead of next month s three-year-old classic for colts and geldings.
Chasing stablemates, speedy HOIST THE MAST, and GO DEH GIRL into the straight, NUCLEAR NOON closed willingly long the rail with Robert Halledeen.
The Nuclear Affair-Noon It Is colt charged at GO DEH GIRL, who had hit the front a furlong and a quarter out with Dane Nelson astride.
ROJORN DI PILOT’s second-place run behind out-of-class SIR ALTON when reporting off a near six-month break on April 19, makes the five-furlong straight course specialist the horse to beat in Monday’s overnight allowance at Caymanas Park.
Drawn widest in the 11-horse field, after getting a run under his girth, ROJORN DI PILOT should race clear of rivals entering the main track with the course bias to his advantage.
RAS EMANUEL and SIR KEL are the other proven five-straight runners in the line-up.
However, RAS EMANUEL has not raced since October, and was scratched, lame, for a subsequent event later that month.
Jason DaCosta’s SIR ALTON appears the horse to beat at the handicaps and proven class but Saturday’s Saint Cecelia Cup, at Caymanas Park, could be turned on its head with the United States-bred colt being suspect, hardly doing much at exercise entering the six-and-a-half furlong event.
Unlike the average field he put away on April 19 when returning off a near four-month lay-up, down in class among overnight allowance runners at five furlongs straight, SIR ALTON now faces the likes of Horse of the Year NIPSTER, SENTIENT and a dangerous EROY, a fellow importee who clocked 1:18.3 at six and a half to romp his last race.
United States-bred runners SPARKLE DIAMOND and SIR ALTON are expected to dominate the betting in Monday’s eighth and closing event at Caymanas Park despite reporting off four-month breaks for the five-furlong straight overnight allowance sprint.
Not having won an open allowance race since entering the group in excess of three months, SPARKLE DIAMOND and SIR ALTON are on get-out-of-jail cards, allowing them back among overnight allowance company, which they had beaten last year.
SIR ALTON, in particular, actually passed the post in front in open allowance, beating Horse of the Year NIPSTER late November by two and a half lengths at seven and a half furlongs but was disqualified.