Take Great Like That

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

With KING FERDINAND (24-1), PRINCESS SHANNON (19-1) and DEVILISH ISHA (16-1) scoring notable upsets at Caymanas Park on Wednesday, the Pick-9, not surprisingly, had no takers.

The first Super-6 also proved elusive and the carryover to tomorrow's first Super-6 (race two to seven) stands at $798,146.70. The Pick-9, which will be conducted on all nine races, still offers $1 million, while the overlapping Super-6 embraces races four to nine.

By virtue of the carryover, we look at the first Super-6 which gets under way with a circular nine maiden condition race for native-bred three-year-olds in which MY PREROGATIVE will prove hard to beat in a field of nine.

Trained by Colin Ferguson, the bay filly finished a good fourth to FULLJOY when sprinting on October 15, but has looked fluent at exercise since and, given this easier pace, will not be easily denied with champion jockey Omar Walker aboard. SANBATH and NATURALFANTASY, both knocking at the door, are twin dangers.

Next on the programme is a $180,000 claiming race over the round-five course in which several of the nine starters are basically better than this level. They include the straight specialist MARK TO MARKET (Walker up), OVERPRICED, RUSSIAN COMMANDER, MR FABULOUS and ANDY CAPP, who just lasted over 1300 metres last Saturday.

Had this been a race to be run over the straight, I would not hesitate to select MARK TO MARKET, who steps from a $300,000 claiming tag to $180,000. However, venturing over the round course, the 3-y-o gelding OVERPRICED (Richard Mairs up), who finished a good fifth to DESIGN STAR over 1200 metres in the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers' Association Trophy on November 5, looks the right choice now down to this level. He not only reports in good nick but has shown good speed in his races.

No mistake

GREAT LIKE THAT, who ran on well for fourth behind disqualified winner SUNSHINE CITY in the recent Abbie Grannum Memorial Cup over 1400 metres, should make no mistake over the longer distance of a mile in the third race for the Andrew H.B. Aguilar Memorial Cup. Ten have been declared and GREAT LIKE THAT should have most to fear from the front-running TANTALOO, now pretty light with Georgina Sergeon aboard.

GHOST RAPPER, who finished a mere length behind THE VALIDICTORIAN and LIKKLE BIT over 1600 metres on November 19 on a $500,000 claiming tag, looks the one to beat in the fourth race over 1500 metres with Dane Nelson now taking the ride.

The five-year-old gelding has won two of his last five races and, returning on a $325,000 claiming tag for this race, should win from DIVINITY under leading jockey Dick Cardenas and Walker's mount, SANKOFA.

The fifth race for the Dye Job Sprint Trophy, confined to native and imported two-year-olds over 1200 metres, should resolve itself into a straight fight between the American-bred horses BLAST THEM AWAY and NOON IT IS.

Both are very talented juveniles, but preference is for the Wane DaCosta-trained BLAST THEM AWAY (working exceptionally well), who is unbeaten in two starts. Nelson has the ride.

Then, close all bets with the stretch-running KERRY DANCER (Walker up) in the sixth race over 1600 metres, in which FEELINGINTHESLIPS (Nelson up) and MUMBAI MAESTRO (Cardenas aboard) are twin dangers in a field of 12.

FIRST SUPER-6 FANCIES

(1) MY PREROGATIVE/SANBATH

(2) OVERPRICED/MR FABULOUS

(3) GREAT LIKE THAT

(4) GHOST RAPPER/DIVINITY

(5) BLAST THEM AWAY

(6) KERRY DANCER/FEELINGINTHESLIPS