Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
PURE MUD, ridden by Brian Harding, leads home the highly fancied QUEEN OF MY HEART (Wesley Henry) in the Rameses Trophy over 1600 metres last year. Pure Mud is favoured to win today's feature, the Nigel B. Nunes Memorial Trophy. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
RACING MAKES a welcome return to Caymanas Park today following a shutdown caused by the ravages of Hurricane Dean on August 19.
The well-supported 12-race programme features the three-year-old and up open allowance race for the Nigel B. Nunes Memorial Trophy over the circular nine course.
Also on the card, on a day when the Pick-9 boasts a whopping $6.3 million carryover, are the Keeling Memorial Cup over 1100 metres for native bred two-year-olds and Race No. 2 in the second CTL Claiming Series ($210,000 and less) over 1600 metres.
Eight have been declared for the Nigel B. Nunes Memorial and looking at the form of the runners, it should be an interesting race.
Included in the line-up are the vastly improved American filly PURE MUD under leading jockey Trevor Simpson, this year's Governor's Cup (Lotto Classic) winner IL CAIMANO, his very fit stable-companion ALPHA LUPA, as well as GOOD COMPANY and stable-companion CHADMAN from the stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta.
It would be fitting if either IL CAIMANO or the grey ALPHA LUPA were to win, seeing that both are trained by Anthony 'Baba' Nunes, the son of the man in whose memory the race is run.
Likely to start favourite
The Philip Feanny-trained PURE MUD will more than likely start favourite, having worked exceptionally well in preparation for the race, galloping six furlongs in an eye-popping 1:12.1 last Friday morning.
She was far from disgraced in grade one company on August 6 when finishing 5 1/2 lengths fourth to her illustrious stable-companion DISTINCTLY IRISH in the $1.1 million Prime Minister's Stakes over 2000 metres.
PURE MUD was apparently given the task to run none other than the odds-on favourite MIRACLE MAN into the ground and achieved her objective, pressing the two-time 'Horse of the Year' relentlessly to the final bend.
Although giving way as they swung into the straight, PURE MUD was only two lengths away fourth passing the furlong pole and really lost nothing in defeat that day.
Down in class
Now dropped in class, PURE MUD must have a grand chance of resuming winning ways from the convenient mark of 53kg. She obviously enjoys two turn races, having won the Ren Gonsalves Memorial Cup over 2000 metres in fine style on May 26, despite suffering interference at the half mile.
PURE MUD's main rivals are ALPHA LUPA, IL CAIMANO and the DaCosta-trained GOOD COMPANY. She beat ALPHA LUPA quite easily over 1700 metres on July 14 while GOOD COMPANY was also behind her in the Prime Minister's Stakes. That leaves the well-trained three-year-old colt IL CAIMANO, who looks best equipped to carry the fight to my selection, PURE MUD.
Other firm fancies on the card are UNIQUE SELECTIOIN in the first race, STORMIN AWAY to catch stable-companion MR. SKILL in the Keeling Memorial Cup for two-year-olds, TAKE FIVE in the fifth, AITCHEMESBEAGLE in the sixth and BANJUHAR over CHINA TOWN in the CTL Claiming Series.
