By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterFOR THE second consecutive week, maximum 32 points eluded punters in the Racing Pools game, as five with 31 points shared the $60,000 category two prize.
They will each receive $12,059.00 along with a number of consolation prizes. Highest amount goes to a Kingston 13 player who spent $800. He claimed one first, four second and nine third dividends to top the $14,000 mark.
Like most of the others, he missed the 19-1 outsider LATIN RHYTHM in the closing round five race for conditional $100,000 claimers. One of the others missed the 10-1 chance COUNTER STORM in the sixth.
A breakdown of the other prizes is as follows:
# 29 second dividends of $475.20 each for 30 points.
# 139 third dividends of $49.50 each for 29 points.
# Sales totalled $278,419.00 on 1,509 coupons -- up from $164,551.50 and 951 coupons the previous week when a combination of Friday racing and Pick-9 activity affected sales.
Last week, sales were again affected by a possible $10 million payout in the Pick-9. Despite a Pools carryover for the second consecutive week, the Pick-9 should again impact on the Pools this weekend until it is cornered by some lucky punter or punters.
The game produced three winning favourites in CALL ME SACH at 4-5 in the first race, RED BOOTLACES at evens in the third and MAN OF STAR at 6-5 in the seventh race for the James B. Dawes Memorial Trophy over 1300 metres.
However, a combination of LATIN RHYTHM, COUNTER STORM, MISS HIMO at 9-2 and the 3-y-o debutante LADY AMY at 7-2 ensured there would be another carryover.
After CALL ME SACH gave everyone a perfect start by romping the first, MISS HIMO decked a few in the next to give apprentice Douglas Badaloo his first career win. The youngster looked competent in the saddle when rallying his mount under a hand ride in the last furlong, beating long-time leader NOWITSKI (2-1) by 1 3/4 lengths.
The third race, won by the favourite RED BOOTLACES, resulted in a thrilling finish involving three horses -- RED BOOTLACES, KERMIT (8-1) and STRAIGHT SIX (2-1). In the end RED BOOTLACES, under a brilliant rail ride from champion jockey Trevor Simpson, squeezed home by a nose from the apprentice-ridden KERMIT in the middle and long-time leader STRAIGHT SIX (2-1) another head away on the on outside with former champion Andrew Ramgeet up.
Simpson, who is riding in peak form notching up 10 winners in the last three racedays, chalked up four on the card for the second consecutive raceday, two of these coming in the Pools races. As a result, he has taken over the lead from Clive Lynch in the jockeys' championship with 16 winners, despite not having ridden locally for six weeks in the new season.
