By Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer
PRINCESS ALEXANDRA (outside) is brought with a well-timed run by apprentice Andrew Nunes to win the third race over 1600 metres in a driving finish from SEEMELATER at Caymanas Park on Saturday. Trained by Tony Kirlew, the 5-y-o mare won at odds of 5-1. - Ricardo Makyn / Staff Photographer
WITH SATURDAY'S 10-race programme at Caymanas Park producing one major upset in MOTHER OF PEARL (20-1), the mushrooming Pick-9 again proved elusive and the carryover to Wednesday stands at a whopping $893,957.40.
Only two punters with seven of nine winners were able to secure a piece of the action, each receiving $48,420.00. With heavier than usual Pick-9 activity anticipated tomorrow in view of the growing carryover, a payout in excess of $1.4 million looks a real possibility should a lucky punter spot all nine winners.
In contrast, the Super-6 which offered a carryover of $352,404.00 was cornered by five punters, each picking up $243,393.50. The Super-6 was caught despite the fact that MOTHER OF PEARL in the eighth race was among the winners.
Most players dropped off the Pick-9 wagon from the first race when the howling 1-5 favourite CAT COVER, widely used as a banker, plodded home a poor third behind 5-1 winner SIR CHACHA BABA.
The second race, won by another 5-1 shot PRINCESS ALEXANDRA, proved frustrating for Pick-9 players, most of whom carried the highly fancied SEEMELATER, the 2-1 favourite, and recent winner FIASCO at 5-2.
Both were beaten in a driving finish by the Tony Kirlew-trained PRINCESS ALEXANDRA, who ran on strongly from just off the early pace to lead well inside the last furlong. She was confidently ridden by the apprentice Andrew Nunes.
CRUCIAL SEASON, installed a 3-2 favourite in the next, also won in a driving finish, staving off the fast-finishing MOONLIGHT DANCER (5-1), ASYNJUR (6-1) and the Vin Edwards-trained HI-JOE (4-1), who closed rapidly on the outside but ended up a mere length away fourth.
MILLENIUM PRINCESS, who recently ran 'A1' horse INSATIABLE to a length in the Melvin 'Babu' Chin Memorial Cup over 1200 metres, got first run on the hot favourite CITY LIGHTS in the fifth race and under a strong ride from the apprentice Marklee Buchanan, held her at bay by half a length over the round five course.
PROVIDENCE, an attractive two-year-old filly from the stables of 13-time champion Philip Feanny, overcame a poor start to catch and beat the consistent SHARAPOVA in the last furlong of the Sunnyside Stakes on her debut. Ridden by leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths, the Law Of The Sea - She Knows Beau offspring is yet another nuke in the two-year-old arsenal of Feanny for 2003.
FRIENDLY EXPRESS (4-1), one of two winners in the card for the vastly improved apprentice Phillip Clunis, made nonsense of a highly competitive field in the seventh for the Solomon Zaidie Memorial Cup, but I shudder to think what would have been his fate had the 2-1 favourite GILNOCK not bushed his chances by walking out of the starting gate and was the backmarker passing the half-mile as a result.
MOTHER OF PEARL, ridden by sparingly used Eric Laidlaw for owner/trainer Stanley Findlay, just held on from the fast-finishing but badly-ridden SUPERHEAT (5-2) in the eighth, a race in which the highly fancied YO YO's PAL broke down badly.
Super fit STILL A KING (5-1) floored the odds on 'can't lose' favourite BROTHER DANIEL in the ninth, clocking a near Superstakes time of 2:07.3 in the process. Then, in the closing race over the straight course, 2-1 favourite PRINCE ADINO (Larris Allen up) just held on to thwart a late run from 7-2 chance PHYSICS BOOK.
