The silence at Santa Rosa Park, Arima was deafening. Trainers and grooms are quietly optimistic about the chances of their charges going into the biggest racing day on the local calendar–the Guardian Holdings Ltd (GHL) Day at the Races. Tomorrow punters will enjoy a nine-race card. Champion trainer, Glenn Mendez is assured of the trainers' title in earning and most wins but will be wishing his Windjammer run well. The Gold Cup which carries a purse of $500,000, will see the winner of the richest ever Gold Cup run away with a first prize cheque of $250,000.
The "big four" in the Grade One event, includes Stewards Cup winner Storm Street, the Merlin Samlalsingh owned Mainframe which is unbeaten in two lifetime starts, 2006 champion Straight Ahead and Sweet Love from the shrewd Jose William-Samaroo stable, which has won many supporters over the past week. These should be the principals in the feature event over 2,000 metres at the centralised venue. Last year's winner Crown Point has not been himself this year and did not pleased champion trainer Mendez in a gallop a week ago. The Tobago bred gedling will not face the starter in the richest ever Gold Cup.
In 2006 Straight Ahead under a typical Ricky Jadoo ride made every inch of the running to win eased down by 2 1/2 lengths. This year he has not been the force which he once was with only a single victory in this year's campaign. Derek Mosca, who conditions Straight Ahead, is confident that his charge will give a good account of himself. The gelded son of Straight Man/MS Gripsholm ran a good Gold Cup "prep" last time out in a race way short of its best trip. With no noted front-runner, Straight Ahead could have things its own way at the front and could find a place. This season, the O'Brien-trained horses began to dominate early and his pair of Hello Yankee and Jamaican bred speedster, Swing By, looked like they would take some beating, but both thoroughbred are not in this year's line-up.
O'Brien for the first time in some eight years has only one entrant in the prestigious event and that is creole Chief Commander which does not know how to run a bad race. This horse has been brought along quietly by O'Brien and must respected with Brian Harding in the saddle. The one to beat is the Christopher Prime-trained gelding Storm Street which won the Stewards Cup impressively three weeks ago. The Dachin Racing Stable owned horse is reckoned unbeatable by both trainer Prime and jockey Ricky Jadoo. Last year when going around two turns for the first time in this country he came up short by 1 1/4 lengths as Crown Point emerged victorious. Storm Street has trained well and will be very difficult to peg back as he is improving at a rate of knots. Derek Chin could lead in his third Gold Cup winner should the gelded son of Street Cry win his fifth race on the trot.
