KINGSTON, Jamaica The 94th edition of the 10-furlong (2,000 metres) Classic — the Jamaica St Leger— is almost certain to pan out in a match race between Wow Wow from the stables of Gary Subratie and Mahogany, trained by Ian Parsard.
The ‘almost certain’ phrase written in the sentence above was done to accommodate the 10 other starters, while staying true to the adage that every horse has a chance to win in every race.
It must be understood that both Wow Wow and Mahogany are so far ahead of the rest of their three-year-old colleagues, it is difficult foreseeing that victory in the 2020 St Leger will not be achieved by one of these two horses.
The draw is done; the preps are finished; it is now race time tomorrow (September 26) at Caymanas Park.
Below is an assessment of the 12 runners lined-up in the 2020 St Leger in post-position order.
1 – ANOTHER AFFAIR: (3 ch f by Nuclear Wayne – Commandra Affair) – Produced an outstanding and progressive run when defeated by Above and Beyond in the 10-furlong Jamaica Oaks on August 29. In the St Leger, Another Affair has received the perfect draw and as in the Oaks, she will go to the front and set the fractions especially for her more favoured stablemate Wow Wow. This time, however, Another Affair will not have the services of Robert Halledeen and that could make a big difference. Another Affair is improving rapidly but not enough to present a threat to the ‘big boys’.
2 – NIPSTER: (3 b c by Casual Trick – Nippit) – Finding his form at precisely the right time. Nipster’s victory over King Arthur and Oneofakind (nine furlongs and 25 yards) on September 6, was a clear demonstration of his forward movement. For most of his 13-race career, Nipster has played second fiddle to both Wow Wow and Mahogany. That trend is going to continue tomorrow.
3 – OLD WHARF: (3 b c by Bridled Quest – Mom Rules) – Olde Wharf will give his owner the honour of seeing the colours in the St Leger.
4 – SWEET TOPPINS: (3 b f by Natural Selection – Sweet Trail) – Sweet Toppins just got rid of her maiden status on September 12 and cannot be given even an outsider’s chance of winning the St Leger.
5 – DOUBLE CROWN: (3 ch g by Bellamy Road – Salty Talk) – Much was expected from Double Crown after winning his first two races. Double Crown will have to improve by leaps if he is to have any chance of even hitting the board even with the knowledge that he will enjor every inch of the St Leger’s 10-furlongs.
6 – GREEN GOLD RUSH: (3 b g by Adore The Gold – Princess Lorna) – Has not been able to come to terms with the likes of Another Affair, Wow Wow and Nipster and that condition will not change tomorrow.
7 – MAHOGANY: (3 ch g by Sensational Slam – Mete-Orite) – After leading with blazing splits of 23.1 x 45.0 x 1:09.4 in the one mile 2000 Guineas (July 26), Mahogany was caught in the straight by Wow Wow and had no answers at that time. Returned over 8 ½ furlongs (1,700 metres) at the Overnight level on August 16 and once again proved his undoubted class. Now the rematch is on with Wow Wow travelling 10 furlongs, which should not prove a hindrance to either of these two horses. The change of riders from Dane Dawkins in the 2000 to Omar Walker tomorrow is the primary difference to the chances of Mahogany. Walker is riding in good nick, has a high strike rate with trainer Ian Parsard and is accustomed to winning Classic races. Don’t expect Mahogany to tear off in front — instead the expectation is that he will sit close to the leader(s), before making a move for victory with three or four furlongs to go. That is the known and preferred riding style of Walker.
8 – ONEOFAKIND: (3 ch c by Fearless Vision – The Golden One) – Seems to prefer going long and should be running on for probably a minor share.
9 – WOW WOW: (3 b c by Casual Trick – Sarah Barracuda) – Back with his peers after tasting defeat following 11 straight wins. That second loss for Wow Wow came at the Open Allowance level on August 29 at the hoofs of the top-rated horse in the land, Toona Ciliata, going a distance of nine furlongs and 25 yards. Then Wow Wow lost absolutely no marks in defeat running against older horses. He has been primed to the minute by his trainer for the St Leger with the knowledge that his class and versatility are the two major weapons in his arsenal. Wow Wow is ready.
10 – SENCITY: (3 db f by Sensational Slam – City Train) – SenCity is going to try her best and that is it.
11 – KING ARTHUR: (3 b g by Natural Selection – Geisha’s Art) – Despite announcing his development in his last two races, King Arthur still has a lot more to find and encounter before he can be listed among Mahogany and Wow Wow.
12 – ATTORNEY GENERAL: (3 gr f by American Dance – Saint Cecelia) – A late entry who has no reasonable chance of winning. Note The blinkers are on.
