Al Fouzia to beat off 'Classy' challenge

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The second of three races in the lucrative Supreme Ventures 2-Y-O Series - the $3.6 million Pick-3 Super Challenge Trophy over 1400 metres - is on at Caymanas Park today, and what a race it promises to be!

The 11-strong field includes the talented AL FOUZIA, who won the first race in the $11.8 million series, the Cash Pot 'Only One For Me' Trophy, over 1200 metres in decisive fashion on October 17.

Indeed, the bay filly from the stables of Rowan Mathie is the only two-year-old still in line for a crack at the $1-million bonus offered by Supreme Ventures to the owner of any juvenile good enough to win all three races in the series.

This will climax on Boxing Day, December 26, with the $4.25 million Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-Y-O Stakes over 1600 metres.

Having won her last three races, AL FOUZIA should come in for lots of support, even though abandoned by jockey Shane Elllis, who piloted her to victory on the last two occasions.

Ellis instead has elected to ride the highly thought of CLASSY PROSPECT who made an auspicious debut over the round-five course on November 7, beating MAJESTIC by two lengths in the fairly good time of 1:00.2.

From the stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, CLASSY PROSPECT has been administered Lasix for the first time, and now better for the experience could win again over the longer distance to which he is even better suited.

With Ellis defecting, the connections of AL FOUZIA have gone for an even hotter rider in title-chasing jockey Paul 'Country' Francis, who is not only on course to ride 100 winners this season, but set to dethrone the injured Omar Walker as champion jockey as well.

AL FOUZIA has gone from strength to strength in winning her last three races and, despite the sound claims of CLASSY PROSPECT and recent winner ROLEX from the in-form stables of Richard Azan, she ought to be followed.

Stable companion

She ran on strongly to win the Cash Pot 'Only One For Me' Trophy by a length from ROLEX's stable-companion INOJA, but had ROLEX well beaten in eighth place that day. True, ROLEX has improved considerably with the administering of Lasix since, having beaten a good field in the $1.5 million Caribbean Dreams Juvenile Sprint over 1300 metres on November 14, but I still believe AL FOUZIA can put the brakes on him again.

Others such as EXCELLENCE and COLONEL WALES (Lasix applied) have trained well and are coming to run. But nothing in the form book is saying that the very fit AL FOUZIA should be deserted.

On a day which boasts a Super-6 carryover of $5.8 million, other firm fancies are LADY GORAKHPUR in the second race, THE GUV in the fourth, MR FABULOUS in the fifth, LORD ADMIRAL in the seventh, and STICKSONTHELOOSE in the eighth.