- CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTGRAPHER
MELTA (Larris Allen), the 5-2 favourite, winning last Saturday's knotty eighth race for maidens over 1100 metres at Caymanas Park. The Garrett Arscott-trained five-year-old mare is owned by Mackie Newton.
Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport
TWO LUCKY punters cornered the rich Super-6 following last Saturday's tenth race at Caymanas Park.
With a carryover of $1,818,382, many punters shelled out thousands of dollars before the fifth race in a bid to share in the bounty but in the end lady luck smiled on just two. Both walked away with $1,872,672.
The jackpot moved from just under $2m to $3.7m in one day as the attractive dividend pulled hundreds of punters into the pool.
Several players were on the backfoot from the first Super-6 race as third choice MR VIGOROUS ran away with the event from the warm 3-2 favourite LADY ISIS. Second choice NO TEAR (5/2) could only finish fourth.
Five-star banker SOUTHSIDE was the biggest disappointment of the day. Going off at 3-5 in the Mercury Sprint for colts and geldings, SOUTHSIDE was up with the early pace before falling away in the final furlong. The race was won by CELEBRATION TIME, one which attracted a lot of support just before the starter let them go and ended up the 7-2 second favourite.
CUSTOMARY BLINKERS
ROYAL MALICE, following a lacklustre effort behind stable-companion LIL' COUNTRY BOY on January 29, was fitted with his customary blinkers for Saturday's straight-five race and the Royal Minister Thankuluval five-year-old gelding showed his appreciation by outsprinting 1000m straight record-holder FLYING TIGER and NATURAL PRINCE.
She had been whispered about for a long time and MELTA, the 5/2 favourite, finally gave her connections something to shout about on Saturday by romping the eighth for bottom-of-the-barrel horses. The field was very poor but at five years old the Irish Quest-Alejandra mare may just be a late bloomer and could win again.
Third choice WIMBLEDON also stumped a lot of Super-6 backers in the Bob Marley Memorial feature over 1600m. After winning his last two races by almost 30 lengths, CRUISING ALTITUDE was sent off the 4-5 favourite but he could not withstand the late rush of WIMBLEDON and the power-pack Robert Reid. Many punters had used the favourite and second choice RISTO-CAT as back-up but careful reading of the race-form Track and Pools would have shown that WIMBLEDON, since the change of equipment had been showing a lot of zest on the exercise track and even at 55kg. was well handicapped for the event.
The tenth broke many hearts. SELECT PRINCESS went into a clear lead and was caught stealing home by BUTCHER MAN, as Joe Buchanan wrapped up a fine triple. It was desperately close at the line and the 6-1 shot won by just a whisker. Indeed many backers of SELECT PRINCESS (Patrick Henry aboard) still believe she held on.
The Hi-Five also failed to get past Saturday but this time 69 punters walked away with $42,213.50. Almost $1m were added to the $1.3m carryover after the knotty eighth race won by MELTA but in the ninth race, the form players had their way with the three fancied horses occupying the top three spots.
Tomorrow, the Super-6, races 5-10, starts off again at $500,000. SIR KHAN in the fifth. MR VIGOROUS in race seven and DIESEL in the eighth are sure bankers.
SUPER- 6 SELECTIONS
(5) SIR KHAN
(6) SIXTH SENSE/REGGAE RULES
(7) MR VIGOROUS
(8) DIESEL
(9) THE BARBARIAN/COZY PROSPECTOR
(10) NEVER BE PASSED/NICK OF TIME
