Bankers galore in Sunrise-6

Two stunning upsets, VICTORY RUN at 73-1 and ZEUS at 21-1, ensured a just over $1.5 million payout in the Sunrise-6 at Caymanas Park on Wednesday. It is very unlikely, however, that such a handsome dividend will be paid out tomorrow as the first six races appear set to be dominated by at least four bankers.

Races two, three, four and five should be won by top jockeys aboard favourites, while punters will be forced to study the Track & Pools racef orm very carefully to come up with the winners for races one and six.

In Race One, VESPERS, with crack apprentice Anthony Thomas in the saddle and MAN IN BLUE (Shane Ellis), will decide the outcome. The two met on Heroes Day and MAN IN BLUE finished second by two-and-a-half lengths, while VESPERS was fifth by almost six lengths in the 1100 metres event. The increase in distance, to 1200 metres, will favour VESPERS. The connections have opted for the visor in addition to the regular tongue tie and the five-year-old gelding should be closer to the pace before proving strongest in the rush to the wire.

Banker number one is WOODHOUSE to be ridden by the hot jockey Dick Cardenas. Trained by Richard Azan, WOODHOUSE has been a consistent performer since making his debut in July and clocked two very good times, 1:14.1 for 1200m and 1:28.2 over 1400m, in his last two starts. This eight-horse field is, on paper, much weaker than those recent line-ups and WOODHOUSE will be an easy winner.

In the third, MIGHTY CROWN (Shane Ellis) also has little to beat. The Tyrone Prince-trained three-year-old colt disappointed as the even money favourite going 1600 metres on November 4. It appears he was beaten by the distance and performed must better when dropped to 1200 metres on November 11. There is a further drop in distance to 1000m round tomorrow and MIGHTY CROWN will use his superior fitness and speed to easily put away his rivals.

ALL THE WAY

GANJA MAN and jockey Dane Nelson should go all the way in race four. PRINCESS STATISTIC also has some speed but GANJA MAN has the lower draw (7) and will keep the short running filly wide before taking command in the final 200 metres.

A small field will contest race five, the United Racehorse Trainers Association Trophy over 1820 metres, where WESTERN WARRIOR is tipped to go all the way. There is no matching speed

in the line-up and WESTERN WARRIOR, who was just touched off by his out of class stablemate KALAMATA over the distance on October 21 will have an uncontested lead. DONTAE (Cardenas up) should follow him home.

The sixth race, over 1000 metres straight, could prove to be a very knotty affair. METICULOUS, a disqualified winner on November 1, looks the logical choice, but he came through fairly late, and there are some speedy horses here, such as FEAR DE BREEZE, LADY EXOTIC, and BORONIA. The one who catches my eye, however, is newcomer PERFECT-TRUBLEMEKKA, with Phillip Parchment on board. She is bred for speed and is a half-sister to overnight allowance winner Edison (dam Perfect Ten). The filly has not been very active at exercise, but the connections have her on Lasix for this first run and could surprise.

SUNRISE-6

1. VESPERS

2. WOODHOUSE

3. MIGHTY CROWN

4. GANJA MAN

5. WESTERN WARRIOR

6. PERFECTTRUBLEMEKKA