Ronron, Mark My Word face off

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Both the Pick-9 and Super-6 start anew at Caymanas Park tomorrow, the 10-race programme facilitating two Super-6, as usual.

With the fancied horses holding their own on Wednesday, all exotic bets were cornered by alert punters, both Super-6 paying over $3,500.

Indications are that it will be more difficult to spot winners tomorrow, as the card features the Guineas trials - the Thornbird Stakes for three-year-old fillies and the Prince Consort Stakes for colts and geldings. Both preps for the April 2 Guineas classics offer purses of $1.3 million and will be run over 1400 metres.

The Pick-9 embraces races two to 10, the first Super-6 from one to six and the overlapping Super-6 from five to 10.

We look at the first Super-6 which gets under way with the 17th running of the Eros Trophy grade one race over 1400 metres, to be contested by a small but distinguished field of five.

The million-dollar race marks the seasonal debut of the 2010 Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year MARK MY WORD, who will be having his first outing since his impressive victory in the November 13 Superstakes.

The classy 4-y-o chestnut colt, who is trained by Richard Azan, bids for his fifth consecutive win, but he's pitted against the talented American 4-y-o filly RONRON, fresh from an impressive win over champion sprinter SAINT CECELIA at 1200 metres on February 19, and also THE GUV, who finished third in that race.

High in the weights

MARK MY WORD comes in pretty high in the weights with 58.0kg and customary rider Dick Cardenas aboard, but he can carry the weight in this small field. Trouble is that MARK MY WORD will find the trip on the short side, and with the fleet-footed RONRON being the controlling speed present, she is tipped to go all the way despite topweight of 60.5kg.

RONRON's trainer Gary Subratie says he is wary of THE GUV, who was just over four lengths behind her on February 19 and will welcome the additional furlong of this race. It would be wise to carry both.

Race number six for $180,000 claimers over 1820 metres has attracted 10 starters and, from all indications, should resolve itself into a straight fight between QUIET KNIGHT and down-in-class LA'S DANCER, who has beaten better in the not-too-distant past, and if he's sound for this race, will prove hard to beat. However, my preference is for QUIET KNIGHT, who is also basically a cut above the others and actually won easily over a mile some weeks ago. It would be wise to carry both.

The 20th running of the Thornbird Guineas trial (7th race) should resolve itself into a straight fight between the lightly raced SWEET BROWNING and CARIDAD, who is steadily improving.

The Azan-trained SWEET BROWNING won by the resounding margin of 14 lengths over 1300 metres in the fairly good time of 1:20.4 on her second outing in December, and reporting in good nick, gets the nod in a field of 11 fillies.

Top contenders

Top contenders in the eighth race over 1300 metres for maiden three-year-olds are INVICTUS, WAR HERO and LADY JAGRATI. One from this trio should win, and while WAR HERO and INVICTUS are proving expensive to follow, either could take the major share. INVICTUS (consistent) from the Anthony 'Baba' Nunes stables is given the edge in what is a weaker field.

The highly thought of JET SETTER, impressive winner of the Sir Howard Stakes over 1200 metres on February 19, is weighted to repeat in the ninth race, the Prince Consort Stakes, to be contested by 13 starters. TRADITIONAL PRINCE (working well) and topweight UNCLE KEN are twin dangers. Then, take NEPTUNE to upstage recent winner MOJITO JAM and JUNGLE QUEEN in the knotty-looking closing event over 1500 metres.

SECOND SUPER-6

(5) RONRON

(6) QUIET KNIGHT/LA'S DANCER

(7) SWEET BROWNING/CARIDAD

(8) INVICTUS/WAR HERO/LADY JAGRATI

(9) JET SETTER

(10) NEPTUNE/MOJITA JAM/JUNGLE QUEEN