Sport

Ainsley Walters, Gleaner Writer

PATRICK SMELLIE's HE'S REALLY OK has less pace to contend with in this afternoon's 1820-metre Bonnie Blue Flag Trophy and should again get the better of old rival AD INFINITUM, as he did in the February 27 Legal Light Trophy at the same distance.

Even the handicaps are in HE'S REALLY OK's favour, returning 2lb lighter whereas AD INFINITUM is 2lb heavier than when he was beaten a length by Smellie's roan gelding, last year's Jamaica Derby winner.

AD INFINITUM's trainer, Anthony Nunes, has crammed the race with three stablemates of AD INFINITUM - BELOW THE WAIST, PALATINE and MACHISMO - with Wesley Perkins' three-year-old stayer, GO MY ROBIN, completing the line-up.

However, none of Nunes' three fillers will be able to keep HE'S REALLY OK honest long enough for AD INFINITUM to overhaul the roan gelding in the stretch run.

Unbeatable

AD INFINITUM comes in at 58.5 kilos, two kilos down from top-weight 60.5 due to Aaron Chatrie's apprentice claim. HE'S REALLY OK also benefits from an apprentice claim, Ansel Dancel's four-kilo bug, which has Smellie's runner at an unbeatable 55.5 kilos.

Now 7lb lighter than AD INFINITUM with no other holding speed in the event, HE'S REALLY OK should easily dispose of any relay his rival's stablemates might have in mind.

In the Legal Light Trophy, HE'S REALLY OK duelled THE BOMBER from five and a half furlongs out before staving off AD INFINITUM's rail run close home.

Barring AD INFINITUM, this is a far weaker line-up and any tag-team tactics Nunes has up his sleeves should be brushed aside by HE'S REALLY OK, who thoroughly enjoys the distance.

AD INFINITUM had to be pushed to chase HE'S REALLY OK and the BOMBER last time out. In the Legal Light, he had THE BOMBER and HOMBRE keeping HE'S REALLY OK honest, but could very well end up doing the dirty work himself, much too early, which is a tall order with top-weight 58.5.

Nunes has taken AD INFINITUM to task at exercise, watching his runner gallop six furlongs in 1:14.2 Sunday morning.

Smellie opted for a two-furlong spin to round off a workout on the round course from the winning post on Wednesday morning.

Smellie's four-year-old is too light to lose against Nunes' eight-year-old, who looks too heavy in what could very well turn out to be a match race.