Paul Francis ... rides SIR VALIANT in the 10th race. - file
As many as 13 races will be run at Caymanas Park tomorrow, the mammoth programme facilitating two Super-6s.
The first will be conducted from race one to six, the second embracing races eight to 13. The Pick-9, on the other hand, will begin in the fifth race through to the 13th.
There are no carryovers for this meet, the Pick-9 having been caught by one lucky punter who pocketed a cool $1.26 million.
The second Super-6 gets under way with the round five Winnie Anglin Memorial Cup for maiden two-year-old fillies, to be contested by nine starters.
Leading lights
The leading lights are AWESOME ANNETTE to be ridden by champion jockey Omar Walker, SEQUENCE, the mount of Larris Allen, and the well-forward debutante GABIWITZO with title-chasing jockey Paul Francis for last year's Derby winning trainer Fitznahum Williams.
GABIWITZO, a bay filly by Pat N Jac out of Royal Grind, has worked well in preparation for the race, galloping 1:01.2 on the round five course (upsides stable companion ANASTASIA) recently and could get off the mark immediately. However, preference is for the Fitzgerald Richards-trained AWESOME ANNETTE, who finished 21/2 lengths second to MARK MY WORD over this trip behind a fast-time on her September 2 debut. Now better for the experience and with Lasix administered for the first time, she gets the nod.
Next on the programme is a circular race for three-year-olds (non- winners of two) to be contested by 10 starters, including top contenders MR JIM CEE, FUGITIVE, OASIS and the American 5-y-o mare KOKOPELLI CAT, who has rubbed shoulders with better horses though failing to deliver.
The grey mare from the stables of Vin Edwards will relish the distance and, although not hard trained as she was in the past, has the capacity to win this race. FUGITIVE and the lightly raced OASIS won their only races in good times, and with the lightly raced OASIS having tremendous scope for improvement he gets the vote.
Return with a bang
SIR VALIANT, who returns well refreshed from a 41/2-month absence, looks classy enough to return with a bang under Paul Francis in the knotty-looking 10th race over 1100 metres for the War Zone Sprint Trophy.
However, the son of Vanadium can ill-afford to skip a beat, as the recent winners HURRICANE JUSTICE, along with FEE FI FOE and BURNING CIELO, should ensure SIR VALIANT is fully extended. Significantly, BURNING CIELO will be ridden by two-time champion jockey Joe Buchanan, his first appearance in the saddle in over three years.
Briefly, the down-in-class FOREVER MINE (Walker up) holds the key to the 11th race for $350,000-$300,000 over the straight, while the useful American fillies HONEYOFALADY and QUICK AND GRAY, both to be apprentice-ridden, should fight out the finish of the valuable CTL Imported Stakes over 1400 metres in which only six starters have been declared.
The Dwight Chen-trained HONEYOFALADY (working exceptionally well) won the BG & LC Trophy over this trip in a driving finish from QUICK & GRAY on August 1, and with connections going for promising apprentice Doushane Gordon, she looks the right choice. Then, take the consistent LUCKY EDDIE to win the closing race over 1400 metres, No. 27 in the Track Price 'Dig Out' Handicap series.
SECOND SUPER-6 FANCIES
(8) AWESOME ANNETTE/GABIWITZO
(9) OASIS/KOKOPELLICAT/FUGITIVE
(10) SIR VALIANT/HURRICANE JUSTICE/BURNING CIELO
(11) FOREVER MINE
(12) HONEYOFALADY/QUICKAND GRAY
(13) LUCKIE EDDIE/MY THUNDER/BLONDIE BLONDIE