The Pick-9 proved elusive at Caymanas Park last Saturday and boasts a $1.6 million carryover on tomorrow's McKay Security/ B3-sponsored Jamaica Oaks 10-race programme.
With a number of favourites such as EL PATRON, BARS OF GOLD and RAGING PROSPECT obliging, both Super-6s were caught by astute punters and start anew with guaranteed minimums of $750,000.
The Pick-9 will be conducted on races two to 10, the first Super-6 from race one to six, the late Super-6 from five to 10.
We look at the first Super-6, which commences with a four-year-old and up restricted allowance race (non-winners of three other than) over 1400 metres to be contested by eight starters.
Included in the line-up is the Anthony Nunes-trained BARS OF GOLD (Dane Nelson up), who won over a mile in a driving finish from SPARKLING MICHAELA last Saturday in non-winners of three.
True, the four-year-old son of He'stherealthing - Gem Lea - surprisingly struggled to win his first race in nearly 15 months, but now on the rebound, has the capacity to fight to the finish, despite the obvious claims of the stable-companions ZACKONTHEATTACK and BOLD AVIATOR from the Gary Subratie stables.
ZACKONTHEATTACK was an unlucky loser behind the disqualified LADY SHANKARI over 1200 metres recently, and with stable jockey Aaron Chatrie taking the ride over the useful BOLD AVIATOR (Clive Lynch up), he catches my fancy.
The speedy ETERNAL JOY, who failed in her bid for the hat-trick last time out, reverts to the ideal trip of 1100 metres in the second race for $350,000-$300,000 claimers, and with leading jockey Omar Walker taking the ride, should resume winning ways at the expense of down-in-class LIGHT BRIGADE and FRANKENSTORM in a field of nine.
PRINCE O'SHAUN, now back to his happy hunting ground (claiming $250,000-$210,000) should rebound with a win in the third race over 1500 metres. The five-year-old gelding has beaten better in the not-too-distant past, and given this milder pace and presence of competent two kilo-claiming-apprentice Kuri Powell aboard, should win ahead of recent winner EASTWOOD (Nelson up) and PRINCESS SALLEMA, who was an easy winner over this trip some months ago.
PECKARONI, with Chatrie aboard, looks best of a moderate field of maiden five-year-olds and up in the fourth over 1400 metres, a race in which MONDAY HILL and BLESSINGS N' GLORY are obvious dangers in a field of 10.
The last two races in the first Super-6 should be won by DRIPPING IN GOLD (Shamaree Muir up) and the lightly raced but promising PROLIFIC PRINCESS in the 3-y-o maiden sprint to be contested by 14 starters. Their respective dangers are the unbeaten SOUTHERN CRUISE (Nelson up) and SALSA DANCER with Chatrie up.
(1) ZACKONTHEATTACK/ BARS OF GOLD
(2) ETERNAL JOY/LIGHT BRIGADE
(3) PRINCE O'SHAUN/ EASTWOOD
(4) PECKARONI/MONDAY HILL
(5) DRIPPING IN GOLD/ SOUTHERN CRUISE
(6) PROLIFIC PRINCESS