Crimson’s stamina will prevail

BACK-TO-FORM stayer, CRIMSON, should be the beneficiary of what is set up to be a collapsing pace in Saturday's Alexander Hamilton Trophy, which has at least five headstrong runners determined to make every yard of the mile a winning one.

From old stager SUPERLUMINAL through ROY ROGERS, JAMAI RAJA, ENGLAND'S ROSE and HARRY'S TRAIN, a battle royal to dominate the pace on a track that has been running good since the second week of January, no longer the airstrip it was for most of last season, looks set to hand the event to Gary Subratie's CRIMSON.

A claiming rider aboard ROY ROGERS, taking the pesky grey down to 115lb, drawn alongside SUPERLUMINAL, with JAMAI RAJA sandwiching them, already has that trio locked in a battle coming across the dummy rail.

Speedy ENGLAND'S ROSE's connections must have been heartened by her performance at six and a half furlongs, beaten a length by TOONA CILIATA last Saturday, but picking up 12lb, going a furlong and a half farther than she has ever run, is nothing to smile about against seasoned veterans.

CRIMSON's last two runs, though at nine furlongs and 25 yards, were quality efforts, especially his second-place finish to stablemate SENTIENT, beaten by only three-quarter length, on January 30. SENTIENT returned last Saturday with topweight 126lb in the Eileen Cliggott Memorial at six and a half, a trip way short of his best, and would have easily flown past rivals with a half-furlong farther to travel.

Against SENTIENT, though running 14lb lighter than his 'A' Class stablemate, CRIMSON was eating into the lead when the post intervened in 1:56.0, three-fifths slower than the 1:55.2 he had clocked on New Year's Day, on account of the heavier surface but pointing to consistency.

Trainer Gary Subratie's intentions are crystal clear, summoning claiming jockey Tevin Foster, taking CRIMSON's weight down to 120lb, giving his stayer every chance at the handicaps to nail the speedsters with his charging stretch kick.

Foster won't have much to think about, except not getting left too far off the pace while SUPERLUMINAL, ROY ROGERS, JAMAI RAJA and ENGLAND'S ROSE go at each other's throats. CRIMSON has a smooth, flowing action, which should pull Foster down into contention approaching the home turn, from where stamina should prevail.