Jimmie, STAR Racing Writer

MIKENIFICENT's connections are seemingly so confident of landing tomorrow's 1400-metre Gladiator Trophy that champion jockey Omar Walker has been asked to ride the United States-bred colt two kilos overweight.

Fresh off his Superday second-place effort behind runaway winner EMPEROR HALL in the Imported Mile, MIKENIFICENT continues to scorch the exercise track in the mornings.

A week after Superday, he galloped 1:01.1 for five furlongs out of the mile chute and returned to post 1:08.1 on the round course for five and a half last Friday morning, both bullet works, the fastest times at the respective distances on either day.

Trained by Dwight Chen, MIKENIFICENT notched a hat-trick of victories with Dane Nelson aboard, from August 1 to September 17 when he slammed overnight allowance horses by seven lengths at 2000 metres.

With Wesley Henry aboard on October 5, MIKENIFICENT was beaten up in class by RAISE A RUCKUS, CASSANOVA BOY and THE GUV in open allowance at a mile. However, he was far from disgraced in his first effort at the level, finishing two and a quarter lengths fourth after being slowly into stride.

After that tough race, in which he was actually vying for the lead off the home turn in splits of 1:12.4, MIKENIFICENT was surprisingly back at the races within a week, up in class in the grade-one Imported Mile and carrying the same weight he toted a class below.

In fact, he was installed a 2-1 favourite with Dane Nelson but was slowly into stride and raced last past the half mile in the eight-horse field being carried in fast splits by SIR VON with MAY FAY, CASSANOVA BOY and EMPEROR HALL in tow.

Nelson made his move leaving the three-pole, circling rivals on the outside but Dick Cardenas aboard EMPEROR HALL made his move two and a half out to quickly go by CASSANOVA BOY then dispatched SIR VON with unbelievable ease before sprinting away from the field.

MIKENIFICENT, however, was best of the rest, outfinishing CASSANOVA BOY and SIR VON, beating the Wayne DaCosta stablemates by a length and three quarter.

With nine of those horses around tomorrow to carry a strong pace, MIKENIFICENT is left to contend with local-bred HOMBRE who has some speed but was beaten out of sight by Chen's runner when he had won by seven lengths on September 17.

HOMBRE returned treated with lasix on October 1 to win by six lengths in overnight allowance but was no match for THE GUV and CASSANOVA BOY when pushed back up in class at 1300 metres on October 22, finishing seven and a half lengths fifth.

Getting on in age at six, HOMBRE was also outclassed by the younger local-breds in the November 12 Superstakes. Even though Fabion Jones will slip three kilos off 57.0 tomorrow, he's still too heavy to beat three-year-old MIKENIFICENT with 52.0.