Undaunted for winning return

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The sparingly raced UNDAUNTED is one of 10 starters declared for today's 3-y-o and up overnight allowance feature for the Jockey Club Stakes over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park, and the four-year-colt is tipped to make a triumphant return following an 11-month absence.

He faces a competitive-looking field which includes the recent winner MR BLAIR, consistent REGGAE ROCK, topweight PRINCE OF PEACE, as well as the 2007 Superstakes winner, MAJOR MAYER.

When last raced in open allowance company on October 10, 2009, UNDAUNTED beat all barring REGAL SELECTION (now deceased) over 1600 metres when highly fancied at 2-1, having the likes of ST CECELIA behind in third that day. He failed in his bid to make to make it five in a row then, having won his four previous races in fast times.

In the summer of last year, UNDAUNTED was purchased for an undisclosed sum by trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes from his previous trainer, Richie Todd, to race in Trinidad, but the trip fell though.

Despite the lengthy absence, UNDAUNTED has had a long and steady preparation, and is fit and ready for action once again.

He caught the eye at exercise last Sunday morning when galloping six furlongs in 1:15.2, and now dropped in class with a mere 52.0kg, should return with a bang under former champion jockey Shane Ellis.

True, he faces three tough competitors in PRINCE OF PEACE, REGGAE ROCK, who obviously thrives on racing, and the back-to-form MR BLAIR who, though up in class after his good win over the straight, has little to fear from the present opposition.

But UNDAUNTED is a class act and and under these favourable conditions looks the one to beat.

promising colt

Elsewhere on the 10-race programme, trainer Gary Subratie should finish one-two with his two runners in the opening race over 1200 metres for two-year-olds. He saddles the American filly DANCE SO SWEET, who has scored once from two starts, and the promising colt UNCLE KEN, who caught the eye when a close third on his September 22 debut.

DANCE SO SWEET won easily over 600 metres straight on her debut in June, beating none other than the season's most impressive two-year-old MISSMYRTLEBOYRICHIE, who turned the tables on her when they met again over 1100 metres on September 15, the winner covering the distance in the smart time of 1:05.0.

In finishing 5 3/4 lengths second, DANCE SO SWEET did enough to suggest that she will prove hard to deny in the six-strong field.

I also like MR JUMBO to repeat in the 3rd race, BLAZING STAR to go one better in the 6th, the Subratie-trained GEORGIA RIDGE in the 7th and SIR VON (working well) to romp the 8th.