Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterNEITHER THE Pick-9 nor the Super-6 offers any carryover on tomorrow's 11-race programme at Caymanas Park.
The Super-6 starts anew with its guaranteed minimum of $500,000. However, in a bold move, the promoters have supplemented the Pick-9 with an additional $500,000 and as of tomorrow, the minimum payout is a whopping one million dollars on any given raceday.
The Pick-9 embraces races three to 11, the Super-6 from race six through to 11. We look at the latter.
The Super-6 gets underway with a restricted allowance VI (non winners of three) over the circular nine course to be contested by 10 starters, including leading lights EXPLOSIVE FLAME, MOZURI along with the recent winners EXOTIC GLOW and ABOVE THE LAW, the latter not too high in the scales to take a serious hand in the outcome.
The free running MOZURI will get the distance and although beaten by HI JOE, the fast-finishing EXOTIC GLOW over 1500 metres on February 12 was only 1 3/4 lengths away at the finish.
EXOTIC GLOW finished fast in that race to pip MOZURI for second and over the longer distance, will only go down fighting with competent claiming apprentice Andrew Nunes aboard. Prior to his last race, EXOTIC GLOW ran on strongly over the circular nine course to win convincingly and really loves the distance.
THE WINNER
Still, my idea of the winner is the Barry Dawes-trained EXPLOSIVE FLAME, a proven course horse who advertised his wellbeing on February 12 when finishing 2 1/2 lengths fourth (closing fast) to HI JOE over 1500 metres. It should be recalled that EXPLOSIVE FLAME notched his last win over tomorrow trip on July 31 at odds of 53-1 with sparingly used Robert Stewart aboard. He now has the services of champion apprentice Paul 'Country' Francis.
Next is a $280,000 - $260,000 claiming race over 1300 metres in which the Darby family seemingly hold the key. Robert Darby Snr. saddles the useful OUTSWINGER, while his sons, Robert Jr. and Ryan saddle the highly fancied PRODIGAL SON and WINNING MESSAGE respectively.
PRODIGAL SON failed in his bid for the hat-trick behind MR. VIGOROUS on a $260,000 tag last time out, but he has lowered his sights for this and given the shorter distance, should resume winning ways at the expense of OUTSWINGER, KERMIT and WINNING MESSAGE.
SHANIA, the mount of champion jockey Trevor Simpson, looks best of a moderate lot of maiden three-year-olds in the eighth race where old rival THIS IS THE GIRL and FACING FAME are twin dangers.
Fleet-footed THE VICE (down in class) gets the nod over another speed merchant, STRAIGHTTOTHEHEART and STRIKING LIGHTNING in the ninth over the straight course, while the 10th race for the Philip Feanny O.D. Trophy (overnight allowance) at 1820 metres should go to the Feanny-trained SATISFIER ahead of stable-companion MILLIMETRE and CRUISING ALTITUDE.
SATISFIER (working well) finished a close third to stable-companion and 'Horse of the Year' DISTINCTLY IRISH in the Harry Jackson Memorial Cup over 2400 metres on Boxing Day and was second to the same horse in the November 13 Red Stripe Superstakes over 2000 metres.
The closing race could provide MR. SHINE (now runs on Lasix) with a long overdue win, but he'll have to run hard in order to stave off the closers PRINCESS BIANCA (regaining form) and BRINGBACKDIMONEY.
SUPER-FANCIES
(6) EXPLOSIVE FLAME/EXOTIC GLOW/MOZURI
(7) PRODIGAL SON/
OUTSWINGER/KERMIT
(8) SHANIA/THIS IS THE GIRL/FACING FAME
(9) THE VICE/STRAIGHTTOTHEHEART/STRIKING LIGHTNING
(10) SATISFER
(11) PRINCESS BIANCA/
MR. SHINE/BRINGBACKDIMONEY
