Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
LIL' COUNTRY BOY, ridden by Charles Hussey for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, wins the third race over 1100 metres for open allowance horses, in decisive fashion, at Caymanas Park on Wednesday. Owned by Alexander Haber, the American 6-y-o horse went off the 1-5 favourite in a field of six. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE PICK-9 was cornered for the second consecutive day at Caymanas Park on Wednesday, fortune smiling on one lucky punter once again.
Last Saturday the $4.3 million Pick-9 became history. Then on Wednesday, another individual walked away $1 million richer. Wednesday's programme produced no real upsets, but SAID I SAID at 5-1 in the the 10th and final and UNTOUCHABLE at 9-2 in the seventh stumped quite a few.
Meanwhile, the Super-6 was caught by eight punters, each receiving $91,234. The Pick-9 will embrace race two to 10 tomorrow, the Super-6 from five to 10. We look at the Super-6.
It gets under way with a $350,000- $330,000 claiming race over 1500 metres to be contested by eight starters, including the recent winners CORDITE, ASTRO CRUNCH and PADDY'S STORM, along with FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE and the down-in-class METEOR MAN.
HARD TO BEAT
Although getting on in years, a fit METEOR MAN would prove hard to beat in a race of this nature, but is well-being is a bit suspect and it could pay to go with back-to-form CORDITE, who was quite impressive when scoring over 1200 metres on June 10.
True, the six-year-old gelding steps up in class to contest this race, but back in action with only 50.0kg and Paul 'Country' Francis again in the saddle, should repeat at the expense of FROMRUSIAWITHLOVE and METEOR MAN.
ELECTRO SMART, who failed by a neck to stave off DIAL DIRECT over 1100 metres on his recent debut, is tipped to go one better (Winston Griffiths up) in the sixth race for maiden three-year-olds.
By Royal Minister out of Sophisticated Mama, the chestnut colt from the stables of 14-time champion Philip Feanny will have gained from the experience and gets the nod over ROBINS BAY and PISON.
The seventh race over the straight five course should see CHAMPAGNE AND GOLD, PRINCESSJACQUELINE, recent winner UGOTTABELIEVE and the sparingly raced CELEBRATION TIME in serious contention where it matters.
Preference is for PRINCESSJACQUELINE who was apparently beaten by the distance (1300 metres) when finishing a close fifth to FRANKIE MOREFIRE in the Henry Harrison Sr. Memorial Cup last Saturday. She gets the ideal trip on this occasion and is preferred to CHAMPAGNE AND GOLD and CELEBRATION TIME.
JELEN'S CHOICE looks tempting at the weights in the eighth race for the 'Billy' Pick Memorial Cup, but NATURAL SELECTOR, MEDIC ON BOARD, ALL FIRED UP and NEUTALIZER should ensure he is extended.
Then, take the fast improving hat-trick seeker HOUDINI AGAIN to win the ninth race for the L.C. McKenzie Trophy (overnight allowance) at the expense of JACK DE PRINCE and JUST SOME THOUGHTS. And SIR KISSON LAL (regaining form) over RED GENERAL and PATAS DE FUEGO in the closing $160,000 claiming race over 1700m.
SUPER-6 FANCIES
(5) CORDITE/FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE/METEOR MAN
(6) ELECTRO SMART
(7) PRINCESSJACQUELINE/CHAMPAGNE AND GOLD/CELEBRATION TIME
(8) JELEN'S CHOICE/NATURAL SELECTOR/NEUTRALIZER
(9) HOUDINI AGAIN/JACK DE PRINCE
(10) SIR KISSON LAL/RED GENERAL/PATAS DE FUEGO
