Jimmie, Star Racing Writer

ST LEGER winner COMMANDING CHIEF, unbeaten in three starts, has been thrown to the wolf of two-turn races, HOMBRE, the 2009 Superstakes winner and runner-up to MARK MY WORD last year.

The duo clash at 1820 metres at which HOMBRE won three of his last 10 races in crack grade-one times - 1:55.4, 1:55.3 and 1:55.1

COMMANDING CHIEF is yet to race outside his age group but is undoubtedly a top-class horse. He continues to impress at exercise, flattering the railbirds with 1:00.0 for five furlongs on Tuesday morning.

His St Leger performance was awesome, slipping past BIG MAN BOYU off the home turn for a four and a half-length win.

However, HOMBRE and BIG MAN BOYU are leagues apart. BIG MAN BOYU, the 2000 Guineas winner, proved to be a miler at best whereas HOMBRE still holds the title of being second only to MARK MY WORD as a local-bred stayer.

deadly hybrid

In fact, HOMBRE is not a simple stayer, he's a sprinter-stayer, a deadly hybrid of speed and stamina which can dismantle the best horse from the gate.

For COMMANDING CHIEF to beat HOMBRE at his best, the three-year-old gelding will have to be able to keep pace with the speedy six-year-old who leaves the half-mile in two-turn races as if he just left the gate.

There is some speed in the race to try pressing HOMBRE on the lead. The trio of Derby winner TECHNOMOTO, LITTLE WASP and BELOW THE WAIST will make good company for HOMBRE but are too close in the scale to the speedster.

TECHNOMOTO at 54.0 kilos, LITTLE WASP at 57.0 and BELOW THE WAIST at 55.0 will be dragged off their bridles too early by HOMBRE to challenge him when he goes into overdrive leaving the three-furlong marker.

COMMANDING CHIEF is also a bit heavy at 55.0, taking on open allowance horses for the first time after beating a non-winner-of-two, COLD GROUND, in the St Leger.

mean machine

The St Leger winner will run a big race and could very well outstay the others but HOMBRE is a mean machine when plugged in.

Veteran trainer Noel Ennevor cranked him up with an easy five-furlong gallop Tuesday morning, 1:05.1. Don't be fooled. When HOMBRE leaves the gate tomorrow with regular rider Andre Martin and breezes past the half-mile in front, it will be a matter of how far he wins.