- IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WICKY WACKY, one of three winners for champion jockey Trevor Simpson, makes the best of its way home to win the ninth race for the Jamaica Race Horse Owners Association Trophy over 2000m at Caymanas Park on Saturday. WICKY WACKY won by 3/4 lengths from the fast-finishing WIMBLEDON (out of pic) and No. five horse UNLEADED (Brian Harding), which placed third.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
THE TOP two-year-olds in the country meet today in the $2.5 million Pick 3 'Super Challenge' Trophy over 1400 metres, race No. 2 in the lucrative three-race series sponsored by Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) to the tune of $8.5 million.
Included in the line-up is the unbeaten SUPER NATURAL, who captured the first race in the series over 1200 metres on October 15, just holding on by a neck in muddy conditions from fast-finishing MINISTER ON FIRE, who was being beaten for the first time in four starts.
Indications are it will come down to an intense three-cornered tussle involving SUPER NATURAL (Charles Hussey), MINISTER ON FIRE (Trevor Simpson) and RAMPAGE (Allen Maragh).
Between them they have won seven races with Wayne DaCosta's SUPER NATURAL unbeaten in three starts to be in line for the million-dollar bonus offered by SVL to the owner of the horse good enough to win all three races in the series.
MINISTER ON FIRE, on the other hand, has won three from four, losing narrowly to SUPER NATURAL over a shorter distance on October 15.
FEANNY HOLDS STRONG HAND
Outgoing champion trainer Phillip Feanny holds a fairly strong hand with four challengers - MINISTER ON FIRE, FIRE WORKS, MYLEGACY and MITAKA, all winners thus far.
On past performances, MINISTER ON FIRE must be Feanny's main contender as the chestnut colt by Royal Minister out of Awesome Wonder has sound credentials.
SUPER NATURAL appeared to be cantering under Hussey when leaving the furlong pole in race one of the series, but shortened in the closing stages and was almost caught on the inside by the fast-finishing MINISTER ON FIRE under customary rider 'Slicer' Simpson.
Conventional wisdom would dictate that SUPER NATURAL should be caught and beaten by MINISTER ON FIRE over the additional furlong of this race. But I am not sure, as SUPER NATURAL appeared to lose his action in the prevailing mud and came back sharply in the last 100 metres.
WORKED BRILLIANTLY
Things could be different given normal conditions, especially with SUPER NATURAL having worked brilliantly coming into this race.
RAMPAGE, who was purchased for $1.3 million in 2004 yearling sale, just failed to recoup a big chunk of that price tag when he was caught on the wire by CHRISTMAS GIFT over the distance in the November 12 Red Stripe Breeders' Stakes, a race which was run in the smart time of 25.4.
Prior to that on October 26, the son of Pat N Jac-Arantxa won easily over the distance in 1:26.1 and being a progressive sort, he cannot be underestimated.
The one I like best, however, is MINISTER ON FIRE who should prove lethal with the administration of Lasix.
He has never been one to set the exercise track alight, like stable companion FIRE WORKS. But MINISTER ON FIRE delivers in his races and given the necessary luck in running, his final rattle should prove the undoing of main rivals SUPER NATURAL and RAMPAGE over the last 200 metres.
Other firm fancies on the card are TYRONE SON (Simpson up) in the second, the well forward debutante WHITE DIAMOND (Simpson again) in the fourth, RIGMAROLE (Harding up) in the fifth, BLOW WIND BLOW (Harding again) in the sixth and PRECOCIOUS MISS D (Harding) in the eighth for overnight allowance horses.
