By Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Most improved trainer, Gary Subratie (right) receives his award from CTL's chairman William Chin See at the annual None Such/Horse of the Year Awards Dinner at the Hilton Hotel on February 6. Subratie's Globalstar won the 'Claimer of the Year' award.
FOR THE second consecutive week, maximum 32 points eluded everyone in last Saturday's Racing Pools game, as 15 punters with 30 points shared the $54,780.00 category two first prize, each receiving $3,652.00.
There being no takers, the carryover to this week stands at $142,591.90, ensuring a first dividend of well over $300,000.
Among the winners was a Kingston 19 punter who took his chances with $1,800 and in addition to first prize, secured three second and five third dividends to clear the $4,000 mark.
Most of them missed the 24-1 outsider BLITZKRIEG in the 7th race and FRENCH MINISTER at 14-1 in the closing $100,000 claiming race. A few were stumped from the outset by TOM CAT at 7-1, but I suspect many more were affected by widely used banker SIPPIN CHAMPAGNE being declared a late non starter in the fifth race. To compound matters, many were hoping that either the winner ANTAGONIST (3-1) or the noted bleeder leader SHADE OF BLUE (5-2) would start favourite in order to align themselves with one of the other.
As things turned out, neither was installed favourite in the absence of SIPPIN CHAMPAGNE, this luxury going to the debutante PROPOINT (8-5) who finished second, proving no match for runaway winner ANTAGONIST. Although winning by 5 1/2 lengths, the 4-y-o son of Al'River Cat - Imagine covered the distance in the pedestrian time of 1:04.2, prompting some of my friends to confess that had RUM CAKE (yes, Rum Cake) not being a late scratch, it wouldn't be a race. RUMJ CAKE was declared sick, while SIPPIN CHAMPAGNE picked up a stone squeeze from Thursday and had to be withdrawn.
A breakdown of the other prizes is as follows:
70 second dividends of $223.50 each for 29 points.
190 third dividends of $41.10 each for 28 points.
Sales totalled $316,190.00 on 1,420 coupons -- up from $259,030.00 and 1,443 cou-pons the previous week.
The game produced only two winning favourites in five-star banker BANJUHAR in the third and ELEGANCE at evens in the fourth. But it was more instructive for the favourites that bit the dust than for those who made it. Missing in action were PALMETTO XPRESS (4th) at 8-5 in the second, DANCING PRINCESS (11th) also at 8-5 in the eighth and of course, SIG SAUER at 7-5 in the second race, where he passed the post first, only to be disqualified and placed fourth for causing repeated interference to AKIODA in the stretch drive, forcing down the 5-y-o mare to the rails and in the process causing interference to highly fancied MYKONOS (8-5) as well.
MYKONOS, who was closing nicely on the inner leaving the furlong pole, had to be checked and switched when AKIODA came down, his renewed effort in the middle coming a trifle late in third.
The race was awarded to BUSHY PARK RAJA who failed by a nose. Trainer Richard Azan had a double with BANJUHAR and the progressive 3-y-o gelding ABULEO at 8-1. Both were piloted by the improving apprentice Oneil Mullings who having ridden 11 winners so far, is now entitled to a 3.0kg claiming allowance.
