Trainer Anthony Nunes seems set and ready to dominate the last two official preparation races for the 1000 and 2000 Guineas at Caymanas Park.
In the Prince Consort Stakes (for colts and geldings) run over seven furlongs (1,400 metres), Nunes is represented by the top three horses.
In the Thornbird Stakes (fillies only), the second-generation trainer goes into battle with the likes of Corazon and Princess Ava. Like the Prince Consort, the Thornbird is competed for over seven furlongs (1,400 metres).
The Supreme Racing Guide now assesses the chances of the six runners in the Prince Consort in order of their starting positions.
TOONA CILIATA: (3.ch. g – Soul Warrior – Red Gold) – Was not disgraced when finishing just under a length behind Father Patrick over six furlongs on February 3. Toona Ciliata was noticeably gaining on Father Patrick and with the Prince Consort a furlong longer his chances of winning are greatly increased but now he has to face the wrath of his stable companions mainly Earn Your Stripes.
SENTIENT: (3.ch. c – Strikewhileitshot – Lady Geetado) – Felt the might of Earn Your Stripes on debut losing by over 11 lengths. Sentient released the maiden tag on January 30 over seven furlongs but was completely outclassed by foreigner Legality on March 2 when he finished sixth. This race is part of the learning curve for Sentient.
FATHER PATRICK: (3.b. g – Nuclear Wayne – Late Appeal) – Two wins from two starts for this obviously talented progeny of Nuclear Wayne. Father Patrick’s progression has been painstakingly charted by his trainer Ian Parsard. Father Patrick’s first start on Jan 12 was over 5 ½ furlongs while his second on February 23 saw the bay gelding venturing six furlongs. Now in the Prince Consort he is asked to step up another furlong. This is a good horse in the making but Father Patrick might have stamina limitations with probably a mile being the limit for him. For sure, Father Patrick is going to have a telling impact on the outcome of this race.
PHENOM: (3.ch. c – Soul Warrior – Supa Lei) – Won on debut way back on November 3 of last year but has not shown the requisite development to have a say in this year’s Prince Consort Stakes.
JUICE MAN: (3.b. c – Storm Craft – Passion) – Noted for his speed having just won a tight race only on Saturday last over five furlongs round. Juice Man might mix it up on the front end when the gates open tomorrow but he should not be around when this race is being decided.
EARN YOU STRIPES: (Nuclear Wayne – Brown Sugar) – Regarded along with his stablemate Supreme Soul as probably the two best three-year-olds in training at this time. Earn Your Stripes enters the Prince Consort with a racing record of two wins from four starts with defeat both times coming at the hoofs of the top juvenile of last year – Run Thatcher Run. Earn Your Stripes was only two lengths behind Run Thatcher Run and Supreme Soul in last year’s Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes and has raced only once this season on February 9 when he reminded all and sundry of his abilities with a scintillating performance going a mile in age group company clocking a fast 1:39.3 which was a fifth of a second faster than the time recorded by Run Thatcher Run in the aforementioned two-year-old race. Earn Your Stripes looks like an easy winner of this year’s Prince Consort Stakes and is the firm choice by this writer.