- CARLINGTON WILMOT/Freelance Photographer
The Sea Princess (centre), offering odds of 3-1 with Richard Mitchell aboard, holds on by a neck from Lady Solo Dane Nelson (right), to win the 10th race for $140,000 claimers over the straight five course at Caymanas Park on Saturday. Running on at left is Gung Tong Wah (Larris Allen), who placed fourth.WITH THE fancied horses holding their own at Caymanas Park on Saturday, the $1.4 million Pick-9 failed to survive for a fourth consecutive race day.
It was cornered by three punters, each receiving a cool $497,826.50.
Both Super-6s on the 12-race programme were also caught, the first embracing races one to six returning a mere $1,459.50 to the multitude of winners. With howling favourites such as AD INFINITUM, JACK SPARROW and LA RUDE obliging, this was not surprising.
HARD TO CATCH
The second Super-6, which included races seven to 12, was much harder to catch, thanks to the day's lone upset, JAGMAR, at 10-1 in the eighth race.
Ridden by in-form apprentice Kerry-Gayle Robinson for trainer Howard Jaghai, the 4-y-o grey gelding produced a strong run on the inside rails to sweep past the leaders - THIS THE GIRL and ANCIENT SOUL early in the last furlong for an emphatic win over a distance (1100 metres) many considered a bit sharp for his liking.
In a discussion with young Jaghai after the race, he said he believed JAGMAR had as good a chance as any, but he was expecting the son of Arabica-Big Diplomat to charge at them late in the race.
"I was expecting the pace to come back," he contends. "But I was pleasantly surprised to see him looming large on the inside approaching the furlong pole and in the end he ran out an easy winner."
Jaghai then surprised me when I asked him if he was happy with the 10-1 starting price.
"The price does not matter to me," he declared. "Whether my horse wins at 1-9 or 99-1 it makes no difference so long as he is unsaddled in the winners' enclosure," he added.
Jaghai is truly one in a million.
