Former champion trainer Glenn Mendez who has the distinction of training two 'Triple Crown" winners, spiced up Santa Rosa Park yesterday morning as the leading contenders prepared for the Grade One Trinidad Derby to be run off tomorrow when he said: "My vote goes to Magical Victory to win the Derby."
Magical Victory is one of four runners from the John Leotaud Stable.Leotaud also saddles one of the favourites in Crown The King along with King Arthur and Howsweetitis.Mendez, whose lone entrant Saragon has had shin problems, said his charge will run a good race since he has improved over the last month or so.
However he believes that Magical Victory is the horse to beat.
"I think this is the best prepared horse in the race and he has trained well for the biggest race of his career. From my perspective, the event will be very competitive between Magical Victory, Crown The King, Academy Award and Howsweetitis. Crown The King won his last race impressively and if allowed to bowl along in front may be difficult to reel in. His draw may lead him to go to front but he will be at the front end.
"My selection Magical Victory is another who likes to be close to the leaders but I am certain Leotaud will not cut off his nose to spoil his face by cutting each other's throat by fighting for the lead."He noted that Academy Award galloped superbly last weekend and has class on his side.
"If he is well and has recovered from his exertion, he will go close. He has looked a different horse since being beaten three weeks ago but once all is well he will go close."
Mendez described Howsweetitis as the plodder in the field. "If they went very fast early, they could set the race up nicely for him. He will stay well but the tactics employed in the event will decide the outcome. However, I am going for Magical Victory."
Trainer Anthony Nunes who jetted in from Jamaica on Wednesday was very upbeat about the chances of Academy Award, the likely favourite. He said: "I am very pleased with his progress from his last start to now. He improved tremendously. He was coming from a five month lay-off when he was beaten and needed the race. Since that race we have not changed his programme and he worked extremely well over the weekend. I like the fact that we integrate the pool training with his work and this happened when he worked 1200 metres in 1:12.00. Mind you, we wanted him to come home in 1:14 but he was very comfortable in the gallop and stopped the clock at 1:12. I am not changing anything in his programme and tomorrow (today) he will be cantering the exact thing he did before his great gallop last week."
Nunes ended by saying, "Horses are creatures of habit, so I would expect an exemplary display on Saturday."Harriram Gobin has given the nod to Crown The King.
He said: "He has improved tremendously over the past two months and today he looked 'superb'. All his rider has to do is hold him up for a bit before letting him run. Academy Award is the class horse but he must be 100 percent to beat the aptly named Crown The King, which is at the top of his game."