Fri | Jul 24, 2026

'Life' a Super banker

Published:Friday | April 29, 2011 | 12:00 AM
In a driving finish, the 71-1 outsider AWESOME WILDCAT (left) responds to a strong ride from former champion Trevor Simpson to beat the howling favourite COLD GROUND (Dane Nelson) by a nose in the sixth race over 1800 metres for maiden three-year-olds at Caymanas Park on Easter Monday. The winner, a bay colt by Skipping out of the 2001 Derby, Guineas and Oaks winner Awesome Power, is owned and trained by Carl Anderson. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Racing Writer

With the Easter Monday race meet at Caymanas Park providing three huge upsets in AWESOME WILDCAT (71-1), CARAZEN-YATTA (54-1) and ROMEZ (31-1), neither the Pick-9 nor second Super-6 was caught.

As a result, both offer carryovers. The carryover to tomorrow's second Super-6 stands at $1.6 million. Hence, a Pick-6 payout in excess of $3.5 million looks a real possibility.

The Pick-9 on the Bigga Oaks 11-race programme embraces races three to 11, the first Super-6 from one to six and the overlapping Super-6 from six to 11.

Top contenders

We look at the second Super-6 which gets under way in the sixth race, Division I of the Ricochet Stakes over the round-five course for maiden three-year-olds, to be contested by 14 fillies.

The top contenders are LIGHTNING IMAGE (Omar Walker) and SABINA (Dick Cardenas), both trained by Anthony 'Baba' Nunes, along with SKIPPING MICHELLE (Georgina Sergeon), SURREAL (Trevor Simpson) and not least, the well-forward debutante QUEEN ADIRA (Ian Spence) from the stables of 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny.

QUEEN ADIRA has been moving well at exercise in preparation for the race, galloping just over 35.0 seconds for three furlongs on a number of occasions in recent weeks. This bay filly by War Marshall out of the 1998 Oaks winner Lady Bangalore could be a cut above the present opposition and should get off the mark immediately in this quick sprint.

Race number seven, the Sam Mahfood Memorial Trophy over 1100 metres (open allowance), should provide last year's Governor's Cup (Lotto Classic) winner LIFEISJUSFORLIVING (working exceptionally well) with his second win from as many starts this season. Following his near-track record run over the straight on February 16, the Wayne DaCosta-trained 4-y-o gelding looks leniently treated with only 53kg and should stave off the consistent MINISTEROFJUSTICE in a field of seven.

TERRA MARIQUE (knocking at the door) gets the nod over DANCING GOLD and SHE CAN PREACH (working well, lasix administered) in Division II of the Ricochet Stakes, to be contested by 14 starters.

WAR HERO and KATHERINETHEGREAT, both fit horses, should fight out the finish of the ninth race over 1200 metres for maiden three-year-olds, while the April 2 1000 Guineas winner is tipped to repeat in race 10, the 72nd running of the Bigga Jamaica Oaks over 2000 metres, to be contested by 13 fillies.

The Gary Subratie-trained NIPHAL (Shane Ellis up) has shown vast improvement since fitted with the tongue tie in March, winning back-to-back races. Subratie is firm in the belief that NIPHAL will get the additional two furlongs of the Oaks, and despite the strong claims of the lightly raced fillies SWEET TRAIL and RIGHT MARKER, both of whom have tremendous scope and have trained well, it's NIPHAL to repeat.

Then, take the lightly weighted LUX (fit now) to beat KOKOPELLI CAT, PRINCE RIDELL and BLONDIE BLONDIE in the closing $180,000 conditional claiming race over 1400 metres, in which the maximum 16 have been declared.

SECOND SUPER-6

(6) QUEEN ADIRA/LIGHTNING IMAGE

(7) LIFEISJUSFORLIVING

(8) TERRA MARIQUE/DANCING GOLD

(9) WAR HERO/KATHERINETHEGREAT

(10) NIPHAL/SWEET TRAIL

(11) LUX/PRINCE RIDELL