Ghost Rapper to strike in Todd Memorial

Horses from the $180,000 claiming group hold centre stage at Caymanas Park today in the annual renewal of the Monica Todd Memorial Cup over 2000 metres.

This has attracted 11 starters, including GHOST RAPPER, ROYAL BLAST, RULE BY SECRECY and LONG PROCESS, all of whom are basically better than this level when focused.

In addition to this quartet, others such as THEDIVINEKING and MISS ATLANTIC STAR could be brought into the reckoning.

I would normally have gone for a horse like RULE BY SECRECY to win this race, but the seven-year-old chestnut gelding continues to be dogged by an acute gate problem and thus represents a risky proposition, even with title-chasing jockey Dick Cardenas sticking with the ride.

Having given it away at the start again last Saturday, a lot will depend on how many lengths RULE BY SECRECY spots them today.

THEDIVINEKING also relishes two turn races and, although failing to visit the winners' enclosure in many moons, ran well enough (third) to out-of-class HEY TRAIN over 1400 metres last Saturday to be taken seriously.

ROYAL BLAST is the quintessential two-turn specialist in the field and, now back with the trainer who knows him best (Ian Parsard), can definitely make amends for his poor run (last) as the favourite behind ARIANA over 1820 metres on a $250,000 claiming tag recently.

LONG PROCESS has the capacity to fight out the finish despite his dismal run on the last occasion and he too should add to the intrigue, now taking orders from Ryan Darby.

In what looks a dicey affair, owing to the presence of so many 'problem' horses, the one best equipped to pull it off must be GHOST RAPPER, who steps down from a $350,000 claiming tag to contest this race with champion jockey Omar Walker aboard.

Trained by Leroy Fearon, the 5-y-o bay gelding was highly fancied to win over 1400 metres when coming down two classes last Saturday, only to be declared a late non-starter (sick).

GHOST RAPPER, who was seven lengths fifth to HE'S REALLY OK and BRUCEONTHELOOSE in the 2009 Jamaica Derby, carries joint topweight of 57.0kg, but he's a cut above this level of racing and although I'm wary of ROYAL BLAST, LONG PROCESS and RULE BY SECRECY, the son of Ghost Ransom gets a glorious opportunity to score his first victory since March 12 when beating LONG PROCESS and HEY TRAIN convincingly over 1500 metres on a $350,000 tag.

Other firm fancies on the card are WIND CRAFT (Lasix on) to catch SAGA BOY in the second race for maiden three-year-olds over the straight; I'M ALLWRIGHT in the 2-y-o race; hat-trick seeker ODIN to stave off PRINCE OF ARABIA in the fifth; SAINT MARY in the sixth; and NYABINGHI (working well) to stave off COLD GROUND in the eighth.