CHADMAN, under a brilliant ride from former champion jockey Trevor Simpson, holding on from stable companion DIGI N' JIGGY in the 2000m Reynold 'Ren' Gonzalves Memorial Cup at Caymanas Park last Saturday. The winner and runner-up are both conditioned by leading trainer Wayne DaCosta. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
MAMA'S GIRL, running at odds of 8-1 in the 1400-metre 10th race, was the longest shot on Saturday's 12-race card at Caymanas Park but a handful of mild upsetters ensured a decent payout on the second Super-6 as well as a $1.1m Pick-9 carryover to Saturday's Derby Day meet.
The opening Super-6, races one to six, was relatively quiet with favourites, JET BLASTER (4-5) and ROYAL MALICE (1-1), winning the first two events. However, things got knotty from the third race when BAILAME struck at 6-1, triggering a spate of beaten favourites.
However, PADDY'S STORM (4-1), LADY POOJA (2-1) and DIAL DIRECT (3-1) were still not hard enough in the following races to prevent 20 winning Super-Six combinations from cashing in on $37,631.50 each.
MAJESTIC KING, the 6-5 favourite in the seventh event, got most second Super-6 off to a great start, sprinting away from long-time leader THAT'S IT from the top of the lane at 1820 metres.
CLASSY BOY PETE's convincing win at 1400 metres in the eighth must have sparked further hope especially for Pick-9 bettors, who had weathered PADDY'S STORM to open their bets in the fourth as well as 3-1 stinger DIAL DIRECT, who upstaged the hot debutant ELECTRO SMART in the sixth.
However, all bets came tumbling in the next three races as CHADMAN made all at 6-1 in the ninth, turning back the challenge of 4-5 favourite HERECOMESFUDGIE down the back stretch.
Following CHADMAN's big win under an enterprising ride from Trevor Simpson, the veteran Ian Spence rolled back the years with a peach of a ride astride MAMA'S GIRL, thwarting Simpson hunting a quick double aboard MEDICAL ACCOUNT, who ran wide into the lane after making a sweeping move, wide of horses, three furlongs out.
The day's feature, the Jamaica Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame Trophy event, drove the final nail in Pick-9 bets, sweeping forward under Paul Francis' hand ride to brush away 4-5 favourite SI MI TRIAL a half-furlong out in the 1200-metre Open Allowance event.
Despite the failure of Pick-9 bettors alongside CHADMAN, MAMA'S GIRL and MEDICAL REPORT's upset victories, there were seven winning Super-Six combinations, each picking up $114,787.50, taking the popular bet back to its $500,000 guarantee for Derby Day.
