'Prince' to win Cash Pot

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The season's top juveniles take centre stage at Caymanas Park today when 13 line up for the first race in the Supreme Ventures Two-Year-Old Series, the $2.95-million Cash Pot 'Only One For Me' Trophy (Grade III) over 1200 metres.

This is the first of three lucrative races for native bred two-year-olds in this unique series, which offers prize money of $11.8 million, including a million-dollar bonus to the owner of the horse good enough to win all three races.

The series continues on Saturday, November 27 with the Pick-3 Super Challenge Trophy (Grade II) over 1400 metres for a purse of $3.6 million; and will climax on Boxing Day, Monday, December 27, with the 98th running of the Supreme Ventures Limited Jamaica 2-Y-O Stakes (Grade I) over 1600 metres, for a whopping purse of $4.25 million.

With an attractive purse up for grabs, the race promises keen competition as some of these youngsters make rapid improvements from one race to the next.

Included in the line-up are the impressive duo of TRADITIONAL PRINCE and FATTY BUM BUM, both of whom have won twice and based on the quality of their performances should carry the bulk of the betting.

But the race is not necessarily confined to this pair, as other such as the unbeaten HERBIOUS CORPUS, Philip Feanny's pair of ISNT SHE SOMETHIN and WINNIANA, along with SHINING GOLD and ANOTHER TRAIN, should provide worthwhile opposition for the top two, especially the Richard Azan-trained colt HERBIOUS CORPUS, who ran on strongly to win over the round-five course on his recent debut and has been administered Lasix for the first time.

I think it will more than likely come down to FATTY BUM BUM, to be ridden by champion jockey Omar Walker for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta; and TRADITIONAL PRINCE, to again be ridden by Dick Cardenas for the young second-generation trainer Robert Pearson.

FATTY BUM BUM (working well) showed marked improvement when fitted with the tongue tie on August 28, turning the tables on her previous conqueror ANNIE OAKLEY in no uncertain fashion - scoring by 4¹/⁴ lengths over 1100 metres in the fairly good time of 1:07.2.

local bred

While respecting her chances, it would be fair to say that TRADITIONAL PRINCE is the best local bred two-year-old seen out so far this season and his September 25 fast-time win over ISNT SHE SOMETHIN in the Dewhurst Stakes at 1300 metres attests to this.

The bay colt by Traditional out of Princess Lal clocked 1:20.1 over the distance in winning by 3¹/² lengths, his six-furlong split of 1:12.4 underscoring his ability.

FATTY BUM BUM, a speedy sort, will be a tough opponent with the champion jockey again at the helm. But I think TRADITIONAL PRINCE can successfully allow her 1.5kg.

I also like RHOSA KLEBB to win the first race; TOBAGO to rebound in the second; THREE QUEENS to do likewise in the third; SEA DEVIL in the fourth; HONEYOFALADY to catch the lightly weighted BRASH & SASSY in the None Such Sprint Trophy (grade one) over 1200 metres; and SUPER CENTER to go one better in the eighth.