Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

SKYWAY EXPRESS (outside) is a firm fancy to win today's feature, the Wayne DaCosta Trophy, at Caymanas Park. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

THE AMERICAN five-year-old gelding SKYWAY EXPRESS, can score a fitting victory in the three-year-old and up overnight allowance race for the Wayne DaCosta Trophy at Caymanas Park today.

Significantly, the race is run in honour of seven-time champion trainer DaCosta, who saddles SKYWAY EXPRESS in a competitive field of eight. For obvious reasons, he looks the one to beat under champion jockey Omar Walker.

A consistent sort, SKYWAY EXPRESS has been taken to task at exercise by his trainer in preparation for this trophy, galloping from the gate in a brisk 59.3 last Wednesday morning, the first four in 46.3.

Indeed, SKYWAY EXPRESS has been working brilliantly since the start of this month and back in action from the convenient mark of 52kg, and best drawn on the outside of the field, will not go down easily.

Favourite

When last raced over 1200 metres on January 5, SKYWAY EXPRESS, the then favourite, passed the post third to disqualified winner, TOBAGO, having suffered interference from him a furlong out and ended up 3¹/² lengths adrift (subsequently awarded second). And prior to that he failed by half a length to catch FUSILIER over 1200 metres.

Although he can express stiff opposition from the very fit and dangerous CRUCIAL POINT, who failed by length to stave off THE SMOKER in the recent Ash Wednesday Trophy over 1300 metres, as well as MINISTEROFFINANCE and the highly thought of three-year-old colt GOLD STAR (working well), who bids for the hat-trick, not to mention speedy ALNASKRA with five-time champion Trevor Simpson aboard, SKYWAY EXPRESS has too much in his favour to be beaten today.

He has most to fear from CRUCIAL POINT who has been running consistently well since winning over 1100 metres in September of last year.

Tribute to the form

Trained by Anthony Ferguson who has been doing pretty well with his small string, CRUCIAL POINT failed by only a head to stave off BULLET TRAIN over the course last Boxing Day. And BULLET TRAIN has paid tribute to the form by winning the St. Catherine Cup sprint in open allowance some weeks ago.

Given his brave effort when caught close home by both ROMEZ and more recently THE SMOKER in the Ash Wednesday Trophy, CRUCIAL POINT, with in-form Clive Lynch, aboard should ensure that SKYWAY EXPRESS is extended at the finish.

Other firm fancies on the card are LADY INDIRA to catch old rival PRINCESS LORNA in the third race over the straight, ARIZONA SUNSHINE to go one better in the fourth, LIKKLE BIT to repeat in the fifth and KAMECHI to catch JACK N'DBOX in the seventh.