By V. Lloyd Simpson, Contributor
Menudo with jockey Andrew Ramgeet and owner/trainer Richard Azan after the gelding's historic Superstakes win at Caymanas Park on Saturday. - Michael Sloley /Freelance Photographer
DESPITE the ferocity of the brand new pace involved, three-year-olds are always presumptuous enough to want to cross swords with their senior relatives, the older horses. But in response to the precocious sabre-rattling of the young Turks, Simply Magic and her more prominent cohorts, Menudo, at the ripe age of six years, taught all and sundry of his eleven rivals a lesson that will never be forgotten in a hurry, by winning Saturday's Red Stripe - sponsored Superstakes in the creditable time of 2.07.1 with usual rider Andrew Ramgeet aboard.
In doing so he left the Wayne DaCosta trained Royal Run, runner-up of the WITRA, 1 1/2 lengths adrift in second spot, the Philip Feanny - trained Millimetre winner of last year's St. Leger a further head back third, and the highly touted Patrick Chang-trained filly Awesome Power, the 1000 Guineas, Jamaica Oaks and Jamaica Derby heroine of 2001 another 1 3/4 lengths off in fourth spot.
It must have been a distressing outcome for the popular Philip Feanny to have experienced the sudden decline of his superstar, due to physical incapacity over which he had no control, and the additional misfortune of his other stalwart Millimetre losing to Menudo and to Royal Run as well, despite his commendable effort to whip Simply Magic into shape for the big day.
The pull in the usual impost of 60kg or 59kg allotted to Menudo to enable him to carry the less taxing 57kg meant that while he had gone down to 57kg, his rivals had come up to him in the weight structure.
After finishing third by 6 1/4 lengths to Awesome Power and Millimetre in the Governor General's Stakes, it must have been the reason suggested in the preceding paragraph that caused Menudo to hand out such an emphatic walloping to his rivals, plus the added factor that he was rounding into form and had peaked at just the right time.
Whatever else may be said, trainer Riachard Azan deserves the highest acknowledgement and acclaim for having conditioned a horse that was able to set a record that is bound to withstand the test of several years to come, that of winning the gruelling and prestigious Superstakes four years in a row.
The superlative superstar by The Medic out of Making Peace is something special, and like the legendary Eros, Legal Light and only a handful of other titans of the past, he will have overwhelmingly illuminated the pages of the history of horseracing in Jamaica.
Other highlights of Superday were firstly the resurgence of the promising Wilfred Chin - trained three-year-old gelding Court Case who returned after defeat in his last four assignments to the winner's enclosure by winning the Overnight Allowance (for 3-Y-O & UP) over 1300 metres, ridden by Wesley Henry.
Court Case had been largely expected to be a big one, because of his 57.2 on November 28 last year over the straight.
He repeated on January 26 by putting away the likes of Black Thatch left 3/4 length adrift despite getting an allowance 3kg and Sir Donald a further three lengths back in third despite his allowance of a kg. He blotted his copy book against Rich Bettor there after over 1400 metres on February 13 (winner's time 1.26.4 and allowing Court Case 2 kg). Returning on March 9 he made a meal of Young For All and Bombs Over Baghdad by a total distance of 6 3/4 lengths, returning a similar 1.26.4 in the process.
His time of 1.19.1 on Saturday which bettered the 1.19.4 of Captain Bligh over the same distance on September 28 augurs well for the future of Court Case. He could be rounding into a formidable sprinter much like Rakkadash, seeing Caption Bligh had beaten Rakkadash by all of two lengths on September 28 We shall have to wait and see, but in the meanwhile respect is due to trainer Wilfred Chin.
The second highlight of Superday's proceedings to be noted was the disastrous omission of Dance Dixie from the Red Stripe 2-Y-O Breeders' Stakes. The fans had avidly awaited Dance Dixie's second showdown with Philip Feanny's unbeaten contender A King Is Born.
The distance involved being 1400 metres, it was a pity that fans had to be denied the big duel of the day.
The third highlight, again on a disappointing note, was the unavoidable omission of Deputy's Report from the Red Stripe Mile, as well as the dismal performance of the odds-on (1-5) Philip Feanny - trained Spirit Of Jamaica.
Deputy's Report had credentials such as a victory over I'm Satisfied and Gaily Decorated (winning time a scorching 1.25.3), Deputy Report carrying 60.5 kg, I'm Satisfied 53kg and Gaily Decorated 58.5 kg over the 1400 metres distance.
True that Deputy's Report is now six years old. But nonetheless, his rating was so awesome that fans wanted to see what he had to offer after a considerably more than average reputation.
In the case of Spirit of Jamaica, fans were left to wonder what had gone wrong with the three-year-old imported filly by Quiet American out of Connecting Flight by Danzig Connection. One humorous fan quipped that she had taken a "connecting flight", to a highly amusing roar from those who had been privy to the comment.
Then, as the fourth highlight, fans exited from the park with a deluge of complaints about what they said was demonstration of the sloppiest bit of riding they had ever seen, when Trinidadian jockey Ricardo Jadoo lost aboard trainer Everal Francis' four-year-old gelding Fiasco, beaten by the Linton Calder - trained four-year-old filly Exotic Gift.
