Mark My Word to rule The Guv

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Reigning Horse of the Year, MARK MY WORD, should resume winning ways at Caymanas Park today when he takes on five opponents in the $1.1 million Bonnie Blue Flag Trophy grade one feature over 1820 metres.

The well-supported holiday programme also features the annual renewal of the Easter Sprint Cup to be contested by 14 horses from the overnight allowance group.

Also among the starters for the Bonnie Blue Flag Trophy are last year's winner GO MY ROBIN, who is a mere shadow of the horse he was a year ago, and THE GUV, who looks the only real danger to MARK MY WORD in this small field.

This will be MARK MY WORD's second outing of the season, following his fair fourth (prominent) to the impressive American filly, RONRON, in the March 12 Eros Trophy (grade one) event over 1400 metres, a race in which THE GUV finished 2 1/2 lengths second.

Significantly, the Richard Azan-trained MARK MY WORD will no longer be ridden by his Triple Crown-winning jockey, Dick Cardenas, who recently signed on as new stable jockey to trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes.

Hence, Azan has secured the services of the champion jockey Omar Walker, who recently split with champion trainer Wayne DaCosta as his stable jockey.

THE GUV, to be ridden by in-form claiming apprentice Richard Mairs, has finished in front of MARK MY WORD on two of the three occasions they have met, while the Triple Crown winner beat him convincingly into third place in last November's Superstakes over 2000 metres.

THE GUV, who carries a mere 52.0kg, is favoured by the handicaps. However, MARK MY WORD is a real class act and having looked sharp at exercise since his last race, galloping seven furlongs in 1:28.2 last Monday morning, the four-year-old colt by Market Rally out of Miss Chestnut is tipped to defy topweight of 57.0kg.

First run

He should get first run on THE GUV after the free-running pair of ROLEX and BURNING CIELO set the early fractions, before disposing of them at the halfway stage, keeping on strongly to hold THE GUV at bay in the closing stages.

I also like the speedy three-year-old colt, SARAGOSSA (Cardenas up), to stave off PRINCE OF PEACE (regaining form) and HERROYALHIGHNESS in the Easter Sprint Cup; recent winner SIR JAADU BABA to stave off down-in-class WORKING IMAGE in the second race; SPLITTING IMAGE in the fourth; PAT N GOLD to atone in the seventh; down-in-class DOLLA WIN in the eighth; and SEEK GOLD, with the trip now ideal, to upstage NEPTUNE in the 10th and final.

CAPTION: In the eventful seventh race for the Joshua Morrison Memorial Cup over 1500 metres at Caymanas Park on Saturday, the winner TIME OF STORM (Richard Mairs), out of pic, leads home a wall of horses, only to be disqualified for causing interference. In the bang-up for second, CUE SEVEN (right, Aaron Chatrie up) was awarded first place, while from left are CALL FOR A CAT (Dane Nelson), who suffered interference from TIME OF STORM a furlong out; CHADALIA (Rayan Wilson) and KERRY DANCER (Neville Stephenson). - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photrographer