SIR SASTRI BAHADUR (second left), ridden by apprentice Oniel Mullings, wins Division One of the Gladstone "Puckoo" DeSouza Memorial Cup in a driving finish from MYBLUBELLE (second right) and SEEMASTER (right) over a mile at Caymanas last Saturday. Sir Sastri won at odds of 16-1. - Michael Sloley /Freelance Photographer TWO PUNTERS with 31 points shared the category two first dividend of $34,430.80 declared on last week's Racing Pools game.
In addition, both punters won additional prizes to clear the $20,000 mark each.
One punter hails from the Corporate Area, and in addition to his first prize, claimed four second and six third prizes to finish with $20,700.00 after wagering $648.00.
The other winner spent only $192,000 and claimed one first, three second and five third dividends. Both missed the 16-1 outsider SIR SASTRI BAHADUR in the sixth race - Division I of the divided one mile feature race for the Gladstone "Puckoo" DeSouza Memorial Cup.
With maximum 32 points eluding everyone, the carryover to this week's game stands at $49,187.00.
A breakdown of the other prizes is as follows:
13 second dividends of $756.70 each for 30 points.
63 third dividends of $78.00 each for 29 points.
Sales totalled $198,735.40 on 1,100 coupons -- up slightly from $187,591.50 and 1,250 coupons the previous week.
On a day when SIR SASTRI BAHADUR created the day's only real upset, the races were so competitive that it was hard to envisage anyone tallying 32 points. Indeed, none of the eight races was won by the favourite.
There were nevertheless a number of popular winners - including 9-5 second favourite LYRICAL KING in the first, PRETTYPRESUMPTUOUS at 3-2 in the second, SWIM CAREFULLY who started at 5-1 in the 4th, GLORIOUS STAR at 3-1 in the 7th, and LUCKI PLUCKI, a 3-1 second favourite in the 8th and final.
LYRICAL KING, ridden by the competent but sparingly used Willard Gordon, shot into the lead leaving the half mile, and after opening up a commanding lead coming into the straight, cruised home by 4 1/2L from the 9-5 marginal favourite HOT SOCKS.
In the second race, champion trainer Wayne DaCosta had the two most fancied runners in 6-5 favourite WITHALLMYHEART and the 3-2 chance PRETTYPRESUMPTUOUS. It could have gone either way, but the fleet-footed WITHALLMYHEART gave it away when walking out at the start and was actually last of the nine runners passing the half mile.
In the circumstances, the four-year-old filly did well to finish 2 1/2 second to PRETTYPRESUMPTUOUS.
