River to swell in Race 5

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Tomorrow's Pick-9 offers a small carryover of $1,047,000, but a payout of $2 million looks a real possibility on the well-supported 10-race programme.

The Pick-9 will be conducted from race two to 10, the first Super-6 from race one to six and the overlapping Super-6 from five to 10. We look at the second Super-6 which gets under way with a four-year-old and up restricted allowance race (non-winners of two) over the straight, to be contested by 12 starters.

The field includes the promising OUTRAM RIVER, who made a winning debut over the straight-five course on December 11. The four-year-old filly from the stables of Spencer Chung has been lightly trained as usual, but now better for the initial experience, should repeat with only 51.0kg.

Still, she can expect stiff opposition from the likes of SI PUEDO (working well), EMERGENCE who loves the straight, GEYSER SPRING and Courtney Walsh's filly EVER BLESSED. I think OUTRAM RIVER has most to fear from former record-price yearling SI PUEDO, who has trained really well for trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes.

Next on the programme is the Eight Thirty Sprint to be contested by 14 native bred maiden three-year-old fillies over the straight-five course. This looks tailored for the lightly raced but promising filly TREASURE GIRL, who caught the eye on her recent debut (third) behind JET SETTER in a fast-run 1100-metre race.

The bay filly from the stables of Gary Subratie has looked improved at exercise since, and having beaten LIVE WATER in that aforementioned race on January 1, should not only maintain her superiority over LIVE WATER, but lead home the well-forward debutante MY HEARTBEAT, a bay filly by Homing Instinct out of he the 1999 One Thousand Guineas winner Rhythm of My Heart from the Feanny stable.

The seventh race over 1500 metres has attracted a large field of 13 from which the Richard Azan-trained ROLEX under stable jockey Dick Cardenas will be hard to beat, following his good third to J.R'S DREAM in the recent New Year's Day Trophy over 1300 metres.

Now fitter, ROLEX should stave off the late-kicking PRINCE ROHAN and GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.

Briefly, the Azan-trained MARHABBA, now dropped in class with Cardenas up, looks hard to oppose with a mere 52.0kg in the eighth race over 1100 metres for $250,000-$220,000 claimers. DANCING SAM and KISSING CHRISSY are twin dangers in the 14-horse field.

The progressive four-year-old filly SHE'S SMOKIN, from the Philip Feanny stable, gets the nod over the American filly SKITTLE QUEEN in the ninth race over 1600 metres, having won three of her last five races and finishing close up in second twice.

Finally, CASH PAT, who was third to out-of-class PEDRO BLUFF on December 15, should come into her own and win the closing race over 1200 metres, in which ROYAL IMPACT and DIXIE CHICK are twin dangers in a maximum field of 16.

SECOND SUPER-6

(5) OUTRAM RIVER/SI PUEDO

(6) TREASURE GIRL

(7) ROLEX/PRINCE ROHAN

(8) MARHABBA/DANCING SAM

(9) SHE'S SMOKIN/SKITTLE QUEEN

(10) CASH PAT/ROYAL IMPACT