The Harriram Gobin-trained Nuclear Power will attempt to win the Grade One - Gold Cup for the second time when he goes to post for the feature event on Boxing Day (December 26).
Wilmer Galviz has been booked to partner the Shivam Maharaj-owned horse which won last year’s edition in a close finish. Nuclear Power will race with 54 kilos and must have an outstanding chance of landing the double. He will be joined by stablemate Master of War, who will be ridden by Carlos Rojas and will tote 54 kilos.
Champion trainer Glenn Mendez is targeting the prestigious event with a three-pronged attack headed by the unbeaten Cape Canaveral, who has not raced for over a year. It will be a great training feat if Mendez can land the Merlin Samlalsingh-owned thoroughbred, who will be ridden by champion jockey Ricky Jadoo and will race with 54 kilos.
Dillon Khelawan will be aboard the joint top-weight Whisper Light, while Learie Seecharan will be aboard Streaking Far with her light impost of 48.5 kilos.
John O’Brien has five horses engaged in the event and the Jamaican-bred three-year-old Apocalypse looks the horse to beat with Rico Hernandez in the saddle. But Anthony Wight’s Apocalypse will race with 51 kilos and will be the horse they will all have to beat.
Stablemate Thisonesforron, who was victorious in this event two years ago, will be ridden by Nobel Abrego with 57 kilos, while Brian Boodramsing teams up with three-year-old Making Headlines with 48.5 kilos. Kerron Khelawan will be aboard General JN with a joint top-weight of 57 kilos, while Nela Mohammed will ride the talented Ravishing, who is allotted 51 kilos.
There are 12 horses slated to face the starter in the $165,000 purse event.
In the co-feature St Ann’s Stakes, the John O’Brien-trained Bella Riva looks a banker for Boxing Day. Brian Boodramsing will do the steering in a race where nothing looks capable of worrying the filly in the $90,000-purse event.
However, in the St James Stakes over 1,350 metres, it looks like Harold Chadee will lead in the winner from his quartet of runners. Chadee has American Traveller engaged with Wilmer Galviz astride and this one looks the obvious winner.
Goldon D’or is another with an outstanding chance for Chadee and this horse will be partnered by Kimal Santo, while Airforce One, who scored an upset win last time out, has Jadoo as his partner. Nuclear Fire, the final entrant from the Chadee barn, will be ridden by Jovika Boodramsing.
The horse who can upset the Chadee St James Stakes is the O’Brien-trained Wise Guy, who ran green last time out and will no doubt come on for that run.
Post time on Boxing Day is noon.
Here are the entries for ARC’s Boxing Day nine-race card:
R1: 12 NOON - MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 40-25 - 1,750M - $27,200
908 1 Rexie Zeu H Singh/J Boodramsing 56
542 2 Pure Strike K Lucas/L C Seecharan 51.5
392 3 Mano L Alexis/B Pahal 58.5
211 4 Single Bullet K Lucas/T Phillips 56
135 5 La Reine T Thomas/K Santo 55
921 6 Lady Charity R Ramroop/D Butcher 55
701 7 Road Rage L Alexis/R oHernandez 56.5
R2: 12.35 PM - MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 50-35 - 1,100M - $30,940
116 1 Signal Note G Mendez/D Khelawan 57.5
707 2 Lancelot C Rambaran/S Rodrigo 54
836 3 Visionary JW-Samaroo/N Samaroo 54
460 4 Star Of Wonder R Bartolo/R Ali 55
066 5 Highland Lass H Chadee/S Balroop 57
325 6 Well Connected L Latchmansin/K Balgobin 57
131 7 Colonel James J Lyder/A Poon 57.5
652 8 Zhiliang H Gobin/C Rojas 57
794 9 Contry Concert H Chadee/K Santo 57
R3: 1.10 PM-MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 35-0 (DIV 1)- 1,500M (TURF) - $26,350
118 1 Pure Innocence F DeFreitas/T Phillips 58.5
516 2 Marconi G Mendez/D Khelawan 57
482 3 Sling Shot J Lyder/A Poon 55.5
078 4 Gold For John R Lalla-Mahar/J Arneaud 53.5
233 5 Pure Pleasure R Ramroop/P Badrie 53.5
874 6 Unsettled Heart G Mohammed/N Abrego 55
639 7 The King’s Gift R Stephen/N Flavenney 56
197 8 Sweet Soca Star H Chadee/S Balroop 55
331 9 Princess Charlotte JW-Samaroo/N Samaroo 57
453 10 Uno Mas M Lutchman/N Mohammed 56.5
R4: 1.45 PM-MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 35-0 (DIV 2)- 1,500M (TURF) - $26,350
424 1 Sexy Eyes H Singh/J Boodramsing 56
717 2 Messi C Roberts/R oHernandez 57
066 3 Princess Alex T Thomas/B Boodramsing 54.5
432 4 Infortheglory B Nurse/D Butcher 53.5
368 5 No More Regrets D Simmons/S Rodrigo 57
521 6 Julie G Emmanuel/K Santo 56.5
210 7 Unruly Queen J Lyder/B Pahal 57
586 8 Asajj Ventress L Alexis/D Blackman 57.5
246 9 Moana G Mendez/C Rojas 55
131 10 Verses R Ramroop/O Mohammed 52
R5: 2.25PM- MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 20-0 - 1,100M (TURF) - $21,250
233 1 Aim For The Stars R Stephen/A Poon 56.5
654 2 Settled D’Account C Roberts/R Hernandez 57
090 3 El Chapo J Mosca/L C Seecharan 52.5
077 4 Shining Light H Gobin/B Boodramsing 53.5
595 5 Whole Lotta Love W Debysingh/C Rojas 55.5
958 6 Sweet Word G Mohammed/R Jadoo 52
887 7 Bella Dama H Gobin/N Samaroo 54.5
032 8 Redhotfillypepper L Alexis/R Ali 57
486 9 Veins Of Gold H Singh/J Boodramsing 55.5
457 10 Gold N’Brown M Boxie B Pahal 55
885 11 I’Missinghighbury J Rampersad/P Badrie 54.5
669 12 Heidi Saw Red M Lutchman/R Hernandez 55
347 13 Trusty Rose J Rampersad/N Mohammed 55
R6: 3 PM - ST ANN’S STAKES -(GR II RF) - OPEN TO WI BRED 2 YO FILLIES - 1,350M - $90,000
-11 1 Bella Riva J O’Brien/B Boodramsing 55
--- 2 Elegance R Ramroop/J Arneaud 55
--- 3 Dancing Sun D Simmons/S Rodrigo 55
376 4 Money Broker H Chadee/J Boodramsing 55
-42 5 Spring Valley H Chadee/W Galviz 55
--2 6 Ultimately K Sahadeo/R Ali 55
--2 7 Sweet Caroline J O’Brien/C Rojas 55
-64 8 Spanish Eyes G Mendez/R Jadoo 55
--- 9 Con Te Partiro F DeFreitas/N Samaroo 55
R7: 3.35 PM -ST JAMES STAKES -(GR II CG) - OPEN TO WI BRED 2 YO COLTS AND GELDINGS - 1,350M - $90,000
315 1 Goldon D’Or H Chadee/K Santo 55
-34 2 Enchanted Cat R Ramroop/N Mohammed 55
123 3 American Traveller H Chadee/W Galviz 55
--- 4 Wang Chung J O’Brien/J Boodramsing 55
-31 5 Airforce Won H Chadee/R Jadoo 55
--5 6 Star Apostle F DeFreitas/N Samaroo 55
--3 7 Wise Guy J O’Brien/R iHernandez 55
--5 8 CP Jet R Frederick/N Abrego 55
-84 9 Nuclear Fire H Chadee/J Boodramsing 55
R8: 4.15 PM - GOLD CUP -(GR.1) OPEN TO WI BRED 3 YO &OVER AND IMPORTED 2 YO & OVER - 2,000M - $165,000
670 1 Bigman In Town R Lalla-Mahar/S Rodrigo 57
111 2 Cape Canaveral G Mendez/R Jadoo 54
211 3 Apocalypse J O’Brien/R iHernandez 51
834 4 Wots To Report H Chadee/K Santo 57
166 5 Steaking Far G Mendez/L C Seecharan 48.5
412 6 Nuclear Power H Gobin/W Galviz 54
333 7 Thisonesforron J O’Brien/N Abrego 57
333 8 Making Headlines O’Brien/B Boodramsing 48.5
135 9 Ravishing J O’Brien/N Mohammed 51
159 10 General JN J O’Brien/K Khelawan 57
520 11 Whisper Light G Mendez/D Khelawan 57
245 12 Master Of War H Gobin/C Rojas 54
R9: 4.55 PM- MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 60-45 - 1,200M - $34,000
141 1 Chinta L Alexis/K Santo 57
651 2 Trader John H Chadee/S Balroop 56.5
325 3 Maha Raja L Alexis/P Badrie 55.5
292 4 Blue Navigator J O’Brien/B Boodramsing 56.5
212 5 Sentabale H Gobin/W Galviz 52.5
241 6 Marengo J O’Brien/R iHernandez 54.5
253 7 Fast’N’Furious G Mendez/C Rojas 56.5
211 8 Simon Peter R Bartolo/R Ali 55
059 9 Smoknlikearockstar H Gobin/N Flavenney 52.5
741 10 Nabawi M Lutchman/N Abrego 57
395 11 Leonardo Angel G Mendez/R Jadoo 53
676 12 Dunkirk Diva H Chadee/K Santo 56
008 13 Pontius Pilate H Gobin/N Samaroo 55.5
