Jimmie, Star Racing Writer

PHILIP Feanny's EL PONDEROSO makes his return off a three-month break, taking on open allowance company in tomorrow's fifth at 1000 metres round.

The United States-bred colt was all the rage before he went off, cracking consecutive 1300-metre races in 1:17.3 and 1:17.1, two of the quickest times at the distance this season.

Having missed big races such as last month's Superstakes Day Imported Mile and other races, EL PONDEROSO's absence begs questions.

Feanny, however, is a shrewd trainer who, it seems, figured EL PONDEROSO had two tough races in one week and gave his runner some time off.

Apparently not ready to expose the colt to the grade-one Imported Mile, he skipped that event and programmed the chestnut for tomorrow's event.

EL PONDEROSO, however, will have to be sharp as PALACE GOLD is down in class from grade one after placing fourth in the Superday Sprint behind SAINT CECELIA. Prior to that race, she had beaten SAINT CECELIA into third when second behind BLAST THEM AWAY in the None Such Sprint.

With the race void of genuine grade-one speed, PALACE GOLD will be in her comfort zone and must be a dangerous contender. POTCHEEN, too, should run big as he was third behind SAINT CECELIA in the sprint.

EL PONDEROSO's exercise reports haven't been all that spectacular, but he's a classy sort who need not race pigeons to be ready on race day.

Feanny has had him galloping alongside PRINCESS POPSTAR in the mornings, getting him ready for his race. He will be a bit rusty but still good enough to mow down rivals in the final furlong.

Elsewhere, on the first of back-to-back Sunday race meets, RAGING PROSPECT gets a sitter, dropping two classes to overnight allowance in what should be a romp of the 2000-metre Jamaica Racehorse Owners Association Trophy.

The four-year-old gelding placed fifth in the November 9 Superstakes and was six lengths third behind PERFECT NEIGHBOUR in October's Governor General's Stakes.

However, having not won a race since leaving overnight allowance on July 17, he benefitted from predetermined conditions, which allowed him to return to the class under the assumption that he was unable to cope in open allowance.

The farcical conditions aside, punters and defending champion jock Dane Nelson have been presented with a five-star banker, a grade-one horse among overnight allowance runners.

UNCLE G, JARREAU and SPICE also seem to be bankers, races two to four, and MISS JUANITA gets the nod in the sixth.