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Can a Bermuda bred pony win it all?

That's the question that will be answered when Time After Time lines up for the Boxing Day Stakes races.

Traditionally overseas bred ponies have dominated.

But Darico Clarke has ridden his Bermuda bred mare to one of the fastest times at the Vesey Street track, clocking 1:04 3/5 earlier this season.

And Pony Club president Nick DeCosta, who will be competing against him on Mike's Shadow, thinks Clarke's pony is the one to beat in the Aged Stakes.

"I don't know if we've ever had a Bermuda bred win the Aged Stakes," said DeCosta, who tipped Chris Roque's Casmir Camotion as a co-favourite.

Clarke also rates Casmir Camotion. But he believes his pony has as good a chance as any.

"She's running real well. She's the second fastest mare."

"What makes her so good is her stride is longer than the average pony down at the track. This is helping her right now because she's been stretching. My chances are very good if I get the right draw.

"I think I can upset a few people. Casmir Camotion is also a free-fall horse, I've been faster than him this year, but he's a very good horse."

The weather's been bad this past week and Clarke thinks if the track is muddy, it won't bother Time After Time.

"It doesn't much phase her. The time won't be fast, but she's a very strong horse right now. Whatever I ask of her, she tries to give it to me."

DeCosta said the favourite in the Two-year-old Stakes is Bobby DeGraff's Real Ladylike out of Tanglewood Stables. Real Ladylike has the fastest time of the four ponies.

Also competing for honours are Nite Dreamer, Shady's Trou-Sensation and Colonel's Maestro.

The Three-year-old Stakes will be the most competitive with any one of nine ponies having a shot at the title.

There will be two heats with three ponies in each heat with the four fastest ponies (average time) moving on to the New Year's Day championships.

DeCosta has a pony in each of the four stakes races, but said his best chance of winning is here with Abbey's Dream.

"She won the Two-Year-Olds last year and this year she seems to be running up to par as of last week," DeCosta said: "It may change of this week, but last week she felt pretty good. That might be my best shot, but it has the most competition."

Phillip Correia's Cherokee's Superman is the favourite in the Four-Year-Old Stakes.

He'll be up against Real Time, Tux's Revenge and Brona's Mike. n[[In-content Ad]]Two-Year-Old Stakes

Real Ladylike

Nite Dreamer

Shady's Trou-Sensation

Colonel's Maestro

Three-Year-Old Stakes

Track Patrol

Tuxedo's Lady

Down Home Punch

Abbey's Dream

Black & Mild

Captain Progress

Cherokee Kibbitz

Crown's Jewel

LR's Last Chance

Four-Year-old Stakes

Cherokee's Superman

Real Time

Tux's Revenge

Brona's Mike

Aged Stakes

Mike's Shadow

Casmir Camotion

George Tee

Time After Time

Buffalo Soldier

Captain Chaos

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