Raise A Ruckus for GG Stakes

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

It's holiday racing at Caymanas Park today, the 10-race programme featuring the 52nd running of the grade-one Governor's General Stakes over 2000 metres to be contested by eight starters. The field includes last year's winner HEART OF GOLD, who will be hard-pressed to repeat with the competition much stronger this year.

Champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, who conditions HEART OF GOLD, will instead look to topweight SIR VON or LITTLE WASP to give the stable another win in what was at one time seen as the final prep for the Superstakes to be run on November 12.

In recent years, however, the top contenders for the Superstakes have bypassed the GG Stakes, their connections pointing to the fact that it is run too close to the Superstakes. Hence the absence of MARK BY WORD and COMMANDING CHIEF.

Sir von dangerous

SIR VON, who defeated reigning 'Horse of the Year' MARK MY WORD over the distance in the Prime Minister's Stakes on August 6 with a light impost, holds pride of place at the top of the scales with 57.0kg and title-chasing stable jockey Shane Ellis aboard.

Having finished four lengths third to MARK MY WORD and COMMANDING CHIEF in the $2-million Rum Fire Invitational (grade one) race over 1500 metres on September 24, SIR VON should come in for a lot of support, despite the weight. After all, he beat none other than MARK MY WORD in a race similar to the GG Stakes.

SIR VON will be severely tested by this year's Derby winner TECHNOMOTO, PRICELESS BEAUTY and the recent winner RAISE A RUCKUS, who will love the distance. The latter produced a terrific last-furlong run to catch CASSANOVA BOY and THE GUV on the wire in the Owen Silvera Memorial Cup (open allowance) race over 1600 metres on October 5, covering the distance in the fairly good time of 1:39.3.

While SIR VON represents the class horse and will only go down fighting, RAISE A RUCKUS looks really tempting at the weights with only 51.0kg and the bustling Aaron Chatrie aboard.

Raise a ruckus top relish distance

Trained by 14-time champion Philip Feanny for top-10 owners the Houston Stables, RAISE A RUCKUS will relish the longer distance and should prove too strong for SIR VON and PRICELESS BEAUTY, who failed in her bid for the hat-trick when running below expectations in the recent Rum Fire Invitational.

Significantly, PRICELESS BEAUTY, who will be ridden by champion jockey Omar Walker for trainer Morris Powell, is also owned by the Houston Stables. But over this trip, preference is for RAISE A RUCKUS, who should prove too strong after SIR VON, LITTLE WASP, CLASSIC BEAU and fleet-footed TECHNOMOTO jostle for the lead into the straight.

I also like ODIN to romp the third race, KEEPING THE PROMISE in the fifth, EMPEROR HALL ahead of VONALMIGHTY in the Ace Supercentre Trophy over 1820 metres, and REMEMBER ME ahead of MY GIRL NALA in the eighth.