Grecian Light the best of tricky Announcers’ Trophy line-up

GRECIAN LIGHT has a 13lb swing on SUPER ALEX in Saturday’s Caymanas Park Announcers’ Trophy, a tricky middle-distance event, which could spill in multiple directions should the pace get too hot with speedsters OASIS JAK, MONEY MARKET, and BURLAP all primed to try stealing a march.

A speed trap could also result in POWER FROM ABOVE charging late with blinkers fitted for the first time in her 18th start, a sure-fire sign that trainer Anthony Nunes’ fancies the pace coming at six and a half furlongs, despite title-chasing Tevin Foster opting for GRECIAN LIGHT.

Champion jockey 2011, Dick Cardenas, back in Jamaica off a 2022 injury lay-up, is no stranger to Nunes, having won the Jamaica Derby astride the trainer’s TECHNOMOTO that season. With MARK MY WORD’s 2010 Triple Crown feather in his cap, Cardenas is keen to improve on the two winners he has ridden since resuming two weeks ago.

However, for POWER FROM ABOVE to get there in time, sprinters OASIS JAK, MONEY MARKET and BURLAP will have to carry their speed far enough to unsettle SUPER ALEX and GRECIAN LIGHT, the top middle-distance specialists in the 15-horse field.

Ironically, it was a Nunes runner, ALLEGIANCE, who had charged late at seven furlongs on July 20 to outfinish SUPER ALEX and GRECIAN LIGHT in a terrific three-way photo with Raddesh Roman astride.

Foster is back aboard United States-bred GRECIAN LIGHT, declared at 117lb by trainer Paul Swaby, after placing fifth at nine furlongs and 25 yards behind D HEAD CORNERSTONE and return-winner RAINSVILLE, who fell out of the sky on Jamaica Derby runner-up RUN JULIE RUN at a mile last Saturday.

At 117lb, GRECIAN LIGHT must be fancied, shedding six pounds, after carrying 121 when SUPER ALEX rallied with 115lb to snatch second in their loss to ALLEGIANCE. SUPER ALEX, bumped up to 122lb with Jerome Innis aboard, is 13lb worse off for the margin of a short head.

After finishing third in the nail-biter behind ALLEGIANCE, GRECIAN LIGHT showed her versatility by winning at five furlongs straight with visor fitted, followed by a decent second to improved FEARLESS SOUL at six furlongs, suggesting she is better suited to middle-distances as opposed to the route trip she tackled on last.