'Mismyrtleboy' faces titanic battle

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The highly thought of American three-year-old colt, MISMYRTLEBOYRICHIE, faces his sternest test at Caymanas Park today when he takes on the unbeaten American gelding, CASSANOVA BOY, and his talented stable companion, SIR VON, in the 3-y-o and up open allowance race over 1300 metres.

With all three trained to the minute for this mouth-watering contest, it promises to go down to the wire.

Champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, who saddles as many as four of the six starters, holds a particularly strong hand with the Americans CASSANOVA BOY and SIR VON, to be ridden by topline jockeys Dane Nelson and Wesley 'Callaloo' Henry, respectively.

Standing in their way is the Tony Kirlew-trained MISMYRTLEBOYRICHIE, who bids for his eighth consecutive win. The bay colt by Mingun-Two Punch Christy is one of the most exciting prospects to hit Caymanas Park in the past year or two and, although facing DaCosta's tag team, should prove equal to the task with customary pilot, champion jockey Omar Walker, at the helm.

MISMYRTLEBOYRICHIE, who has been winning and winning in fast times since the summer of last year, really caught the eye at exercise on Sunday morning, galloping six furlongs in a brisk 1:12.3.

Searching for his second win

Bidding for his second win in open allowance company, 'MISMYRTLEBOY' comes back somewhat high in the scales with 55.0kg, but this will not deter him.

CASSANOVA BOY, who is unbeaten in nine starts, returns from a 10-month absence extensively prepared, but might just need the race and a bigger danger to MISMYRTLEBOYRICHIE must surely be hat-trick seeker, SIR VON, who really excited at exercise last Sunday morning when galloping six furlongs in 1:12.0 flat - three-fifths of a second faster than that returned by MISMYRTLEBOYRICHIE.

So it should come down to a titanic tussle between those two and SIR VON, in receipt of 5.0kg, will have lots of supporters.

As I said earlier, MISMYRTLEBOYRICHIE is such an exciting prospect that he ought to be followed. He has good speed and should teach the up-in-class SIR VON a thing of two.

Other firm fancies on the card are SIR JAADU BABA in the third race over the straight; ROJO to stave off down-in-class SALUTE TO MOM in the fourth; CHADALIA to go one better in the fifth; PRINCE F PEACE over HERROYALHIGHNESS in the seventh; recent winner TURBINE to repeat at the expense of WINNIANA in the ninth; and down-in-class KING'S LAW to win the opening Birnamwood Trophy over 1300 metres, to be contested by six starters.