Fri | Apr 10, 2026

Start with Basic Instinct

Published:Thursday | June 4, 2015 | 5:07 PMOrville Clarke
Pause
File
FIRE ALARM (Rayan Wilson) heads to the winners’ enclosure following her 7-1 upset win in last Saturday’s sixth race at Caymanas Park.
AP
Exercise rider Jorge Alvarez gallops Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner American Pharoah at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, yesterday. American Pharoah is attempting to be the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. He will run in the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown tomorrow.
1
2

Fortune smiled on four punters at Caymanas Park on Wednesday, all sharing a piece of the $18.8 million Pick-9 which had eluded punters for the past 10 racedays. Each received $4.7 million.

The Pick-9 starts anew tomorrow, all nine races on the pre-derby Hall of Fame programme embracing the Pick-9, with a guaranteed minimum of $1 million. The first Super-6 will be conducted from race two to seven, the late Super-6 from race four to nine.

We look at the first Super-6, which commences with a restricted allowance race over 1100 metres for four-year-olds and up (non winners of two), to be contested by nine starters, including the recent winner ANNISA.

However, the one to beat is BASIC INSTINCT, a speedy 5-y-o mare, who will be ridden by title-chasing jockey Robert Halledeen for owner/trainer Patrick Smellie. She has proved competitive in slightly better company, finishing second to MUSIC DIRECTOR and KING NEBARUE in her last two races.

BASIC INSTINCT gets the nod

With less to do in present company, BASIC INSTINCT gets the nod over the lightly-raced PHALAENOPSIS, who has been looking up at exercise in preparation for this race under the guidance of trainer Spencer Chung.

The second Super-6 race over 1300 metres should be won by the progressive American 3-y-o colt BRAWN, who has won two of his four races to date. Trained by Gary Subratie for Michros, BRAWN faces some very fit opponents in recent winners DRIPPING IN GOLD, SMOKEY TOPAZ and SHINING LIGHT, in a field of six. But he looks a cut above them and with Aaron Chatrie again in the saddle, should defy topweight of 57.0kg.

RUM PUNCH, a former top-class campaigner, has been under a cloud for the longest while, but the Wayne DaCosta-trained five-year-old horse steps down in class for the fourth race over 1820 metres and has been looking up at exercise in his preparation.

Now dropping down from overnight company to high claiming, following a recent sixth-place finish over this trip to TIMEFORARMS, and subsequent winner MILITARY MOVE, he now gets a glorious opportunity to score a long-overdue win with Halledeen aboard.

RUM PUNCH caught the eye in a recent seven-furlong exercise spin in 1:29.2 and should win from NEW STAR VISTA and FLYING MIRACLE.

The last three races should be won by the lightly-raced but promising 3-y-o colt MR MARLEY (Chatrie up), recent winner SHADE OF BEAUTY, with Halledeen riding, and in the seventh for $180,000 claimers, the free-running GO TO HELL under in-form Paul 'Country' Francis to beat I AM THANKFUL.

FIRST SUPER-6 FANCIES

(1) BASIC INSTINCT

(2) BRAWN/DRIPPING IN GOLD

(3) RUM PUNCH/STAR NEW VISTA

(4) MR MARLEY/SWEETDIMENSION

(5) SHADE OF BEAUTY/TITANIC

(6) GO TO HELL/I AM THANKFUL