Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Alsafra responds to a powerful ride from two-time champion jockey Brian Harding to win the 34th running of the Jamaica Licensed Bookmakers 1000 Guiness over 1600 metres, in a driving finish from IT IS I, under leading jockey Shane Ellis, at Caymanas Park on Saturday. Offering odds of 7-2, ALSAFRA is trained by Fitznahum Williams, for owners Sherman Clacher and Norman Gordon. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
The mushrooming Pick-9 proved elusive for the seventh consecutive race day at Caymanas Park on Saturday and the carryover to this weekend's meet stands at a whopping $6.7 million.
With heavy betting anticipated, a payout in excess of $9 million looks a real possibility.
The Pick-9 races, running from three through to 11 on the 12-race programme, were highlighted by former champion apprentice Paul 'Country' Francis who made a triumphant return to Caymanas Park following a five-month stint in Florida.
He won aboard 9-5 shot MR THEOPHILUS in the fourth race, in which the bay gelding had to be hard driven to win by a head from fast-finishing TESSANNE, as well as RED GENERAL at 2-1 in the 10th and CRUISING ALTITUDE at 9-1 in the closing straight five race.
The winner, missed by most Pick-9 players, was the sparingly raced SAMMY OH SO at 7-1 in the eighth race over 1500 metres. Trained by Frank Parham, the American 6-y-o horse held on grimly by a length from the fast-finishing favourite CAPTAIN BONE to give former ace lightweight Leo 'Twitch' Miller a rare winner.
Contrasting fashion
Meanwhile, ALSAFRA and ROYAL IMAGE won the Jamaica Licensed Bookmakers 1000 and 2000 Guineas, respectively, in contrasting fashion and based on the outcome of the fillies Guineas, the upcoming Oaks should prove an interesting race not only among the first two (ALSAFRA, IT IS I) but the first four.
While it came down to a dogfight between ALSAFRA, under a brilliant ride from Brian Harding, and IT IS I (Shane Ellis up), from the high-powered stables of Anthony Nunes, HEART OF GOLD and PRIDE N'GLORY stayed on to finish in third and fourth places, respectively, and over the longer distance of the Oaks, it could be even closer.
Being a half sister to last year's Superstakes winner MAJOR MAYER, ALSAFRA, by Legal Process out of Tee Gee Vee, should have no difficulty staying 2000 metres and must be the one to beat (again) come April 26. No praise is too high for trainer Fitznahum Williams who presented ALSAFRA in peak condition following her defeat to AHWHOFAH in the recent Thonbird Trial Stakes.
This just goes to show that given good horses, the trainers with small strings can hold their own with the best.
Small stables
It is instructive to note the recent trend - Eraldo Fullerton saddling RANSOM MAN to win the 2006 Derby, Patrick 'Wacky' Lynch following suit with THE BOMBER in last year's Derby and Michael McIntosh upstaging the big trainers with MAJOR MAYER in the Megafone Superstakes last November. All these trainers have one thing in common - small stables.
The Nunes-trained ROYAL IMAGE (Ellis up) ran out a decisive winner from the previously unbeaten COMMANDER ZERO and ROYAL IMAGE and must now be a good thing to win the Digicel Derby and St Leger, the final two legs of the triple crown.
Bearing in mind the pre-race hype surrounding the 2000 Guineas, most punters thought that ROYAL IMAGE would have clocked a faster time than 1:39.0 for a mile as the race, for the most part, was run at breakneck speed - 22.4, 45.3 and a blistering 1:10.1 for the first six furlongs.
However, it should be pointed out that the conditions were not conducive to a fast time as the race was run in a torrid headwind which almost knocked over the two principals approaching the furlong pole.
Ellis attested to this after the race, which was immediately followed by a heavy downpour forcing the presentation to be held after the last race in the director's room.
