With two days left before the Arima Race Club's (ARC) Easter Monday ten-race card at Santa Rosa Park gets underway at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, punters and turfites are wondering if Treasure Hunt will win 'gold' in the $150,000 Flamingo Stakes over 1,350 metres. On a day, when many of the classic questions will answered for the 2010 season, the day's racing looks most competitive and the Flamingo Stakes, for West Indian-bred three-year-olds colts and gelding, will indicate which horse could head the market for the Guineas on May 30.
Last year's top juvenile colt, Treasure Hunt, made a satisfactory return to racing on February 20th, finishing second behind top juvenile filly and leading three-year-old, Grand Riviere, from the powerful John O'Brien stable. Treasure Hunt has never been beaten by his sex and connections have booked Heribert Martinez to do the steering. The Joanne Kanta Persad-owned three-year-old chestnut colt is considered the horse to beat by the top trainers and jockeys. He will be a force to be reckoned with, going around two turns and his trainer, Douglas Bennett, is quite confident that he will run a big race.
Treasure Hunt fired a bullet, 1:00.20, on a loose sand track over 1,000 metres on March 20th signifying that he was ready. Martinez is very confident that his colt will win but he has to hand out five kilos to top the impressive debut winner Go For Gold from the Jack Debideen barn. Champion trainer Glenn Mendez shared his views on the colts and geldings as he felt that the race revolved around the top two of Treasure Hunt and Go For Gold. Mendez has a two pronged attack in the event and saddles Another Challenge and Traditional Man. He is of the opinion that both will run a big race.
Mendez stated, "Treasure Hunt is the horse to beat. He was not at his best last time out, when he lost his unbeaten record. Certainly from his works he has been readied for this race." Mendez continued, "The horse which could upset the favourite is the impressive debut winner Go For The Gold. This is one of the horses which will improve greatly, having had only lifetime starts. "He recorded a fast time for his victory on a bad track, now in receipt of five kilos from Treasure Hunt, he could surprise him."