Saint Cecelia ready for repeat win

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The classy native-bred filly, SAINT CECELIA, bids to become only the fourth horse to win the Gold Cup in successive years at Caymanas Park today when she takes on four opponents in the 39th running of the popular grade one handicap race over 1400 metres, sponsored for the first time by Pepsi.

Trained by Spencer Chung, SAINT CECELIA, who shoulders topweight of 60.5kg under leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths, is seeking to emulate the legendary KILOWATT (1967, 1968), EROS (1994, 1995) and I'MSATISFIED (2001, 2002) as horses to have scored back-to-back wins.

Significantly, KILOWATT, who was trained by the late Valbert Marlowe, not only won the inaugural running in 1967 and repeated a year later, but won the race for a third time in 1970 and was second to ALLIANCE in 1971. EROS, on the other hand, broke the track record for the distance in 1994 with Griffiths up, a record (1:22.4) which still stands today.

Despite topweight, indications are that SAINT CECELIA will have an easy passage - the race having lost much of its competitiveness with the surprise withdrawal of the highly fancied American filly RONRON, fresh from her fast-time runaway win in the CTL Imported Mile on November 13.

RON RON out

Trainer Gary Subratie disclosed that RONRON developed a temperature in her stall on Tuesday night and this left him with no option but to withdraw her from the $2-million race.

Subratie, who will instead pin his hopes on last Saturday's fast-time winner over 1100 metres, HAIL THE GENIUS with Dick Cardenas aboard, explained RONRON's predicament.

"We noticed that she wasn't comfortable from early in the week. She wasn't eating as she normally does and something was definitely amiss with her.

"When I examined her, her temperature was unusually high, so the vet was called in and he confirmed that all was not right with her. She was given medication and is being treated as we speak," said the second-generation trainer.

Also defecting was the classy American filly HONEYOFALADY, paving the way for SAINT CECELIA, the only genuine sprinter left in the line-up, to lead unmolested into the straight. She should have more than enough in the tank to hold stable-companion THE GUV and the super-fit HAIL THE GENIUS at bay in deep stretch.

Subratie feels that HAIL THE GENIUS, who was third to SAINT CECELIA (allowing her weight) in the Caribbean Sprint on November 13, should not be underestimated with the light impost.

But the race looks made to order for SAINT CECELIA, and HAIL THE GENIUS, for me, is the exacta horse.

I also like GHOST RAPPER to rebound in the second race, NASATOL in the 3rd, SPLITTING IMAGE in the 6th, RUNNING LOOSE in the 7th race for the Owners' Association Trophy, and WAR HERO to stave off ERASMO and INVICTUS in the Andrew H.B. Aguilar Memorial Cup (9th race) over 1600 metres for maiden two-year-olds.