I Am I Am for 'Dig Out' battle

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

A maximum field of 16 is slated to contest the restricted allowance V race over 1300 metres for the Henry George Harrison Sr Memorial Cup at Caymanas Park today and what a race it promises to be.

Confined to five-year-olds and up (non winners of two), the race, which is the ninth and final on the card, marks the third in the Track Price Dig Out Handicap.

The main hopefuls in the large field are BIG BARGAIN, MAHARANI, MORE THAN READY, PRINCESS PARADISE, CHARLIE CHAPLIN, RUNE and I AM I AM.

It would be fitting to see MORE THAN READY taking top honours, as the four-year-old colt is trained by Henry Harrison Jr, the son of the man in whose memory the race is being run.

His father, popularly called 'Rigg', was a trainer in the '60s and '70s at Caymanas Park, one with a knack for winning the last race.

One should not underestimate the claims of MORE THAN READY, who was a fast-finishing second to RIVER STYX over 1100 metres on August 22, when having BIG BARGAIN behind in third.

The son of Hail Orphan could only manage fourth to LADY WALES in his subsequent race over 1200 metres on April 29, but that was among non-winners of three.

Having been taken to task at exercise in preparation for this trophy, MORE THAN READY (Ameth Robles up) is ready to rumble.

While respecting his chances, he faces some pretty tough opponents in MAHARANI, I AM I AM, PRINCESS PARADISE and CHARLIE CHAPLIN.

I AM I AM advertised his well-being last Saturday when running on strongly on the far side for second to CENTANNI over the straight-five course. The four-year-old colt from the stables of Philbert Watson is very fit and although finishing behind both MAHARANI and PRINCESS PARADISE when they were second and third, respectively, to BLONDIE BLONDIE over 1600 metres recently, will prove harder to beat with the trip more to his liking.

Still, MAHARANI will not find the trip too sharp, while the Stanley Findlay-trained filly PRINCESS PARADISE caught the eye behind BLONDIE BLONDIE on last and looks tempting at the weights. CHARLIE CHAPLIN, having settled down, can't be left out of calculations.

So it's down to I AM I AM, MORE THAN READY, MAHARANI, PRINCESS PARADISE and CHARLIE CHAPLIN. That's the Hi-five but I am expecting I AM I AM to win a closely contested race.

Jockey Andron Findlay, who won the first race in the Track Price Plus Dig Out Handicap aboard SHADOWS last Saturday, has the ride.

Other firm fancies on the card are down-in-class GUIDING LIGHT in the first race, SPIDER WEB in the second, TWIST OF FATE in the fourth, DIESEL to repeat in the fifth and the fleet-footed C'EST MOI in the eighth.