Thu | Jul 16, 2026

Priceless Beauty, She's Smokin set for showdown

Published:Saturday | December 18, 2010 | 12:00 AM
IMPRESSIVE WINNER: The lightly raced filly, SWEET BROWNING, with Dick Cardenas aboard, wins the fourth race over 1300 metres for maiden two-year-old fillies by the resounding margin of 14 lengths at Caymanas Park on Wednesday. By Deputy's Report out of Jamaican Dream, SWEET BROWNING raced in the silks of leading owners Elite Bloodstock Limited. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The talented fillies, PRICELESS BEAUTY and SHE'S SMOKIN, should have a battle royal for top honours in the 3-y-o up Overnight Allowance race over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park today, feature event on the 10-race programme, which offers no trophy event.

The Overnight feature has attracted a large field of 14 and outside of the top two, only the American bred mare, THEBANDISLOOSE, under in-form rider Dane Nelson, could be afforded a chance to separate them.

On the only occasion the two principals have met, on October 30, SHE'S SMOKIN finished in a dead heat for first with HERROYALHIGHNESS over 1300 metres, with PRICELESS BEAUTY closing fast into third place, a mere length away.

The Morris Powell-trained PRICELESS BEAUTY stepped up on that performance a week later, slamming a good field over 1600 metres. Assuming the lead early in the straight, PRICELESS BEAUTY romped home by 6 1/4 lengths from PRINCE ROHAN, covering the distance in the smart time of 1:37.4.

As a result of that performance, she was installed a howling 1-9 favourite for the Jamaica United Racehorse Trainers' Association Trophy over 1820 metres and although looking in firm control when six lengths clear entering the straight, shortened in the closing stages and only lasted by three-quarter length from the fast-finishing PAT N GOLD.

Indications are that PRICELESS BEAUTY is more effective at middle distance and, coming back well trained, catches my fancy with champion jockey Omar Walker riding her again from the convenient mark of 53.0kg.

A strong enough case can be made for the Philip Feanny-trained SHE'S SMOKIN, who has won three of her last four races and lost no marks in defeat in the latter. She looks nicely in with only 51.0kg today.

Close battle

The chestnut filly by Traditional out of Watersport went under in a driving finish to highly fancied PRINCE OF PEACE in a fast-run 1300-metre race in overnight company on November 13 and having moved impressively at exercise since - galloping 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:07.1 on December 9 - will only go down fighting, with Dick Cardenas riding in such tremendous form.

It promises to be close, but PRICELESS BEAUTY strikes me as the better horse at this stage and thus gets the vote. Coming from a good outside draw with SHE'S SMOKIN, I am expecting PRICELESS BEAUTY to race in close touch of the expected leaders, THEBANDISLOOSE and CLASSICAL BEAU, before coming through early in the straight and outfinishing SHE'S SMOKIN in the process.

Other firm fancies on the card are SQUASHI in the first race for three-year-olds over the straight; CONEYISLANDINVADER in the fourth; HERROYALHIGHNESS to stave off CITY TRAIN in the fifth; WAR HERO in the seventh; and NUTTIN BUT ZKAIRA over BEIJING BIRDNEST in the closing Alex's Imports 'Dig Out' Handicap, over 1600 metres.