FOR the third consecutive week, the Racing Pools game boasts an attractive carryover.
Thirty-nine punters with 31 points have shared the $105,000 category two prize of $105,424.00, each receiving $2,705.50. Nearly all missed the 8-1 winner GAILY DECORATED who turned in a truly fantastic performance in a top class field of sprinters to win the Melvin "Babu" Chin Memorial Trophy by a wide margin.
With maximum 32 points eluding everyone, the carryover to this Saturday is a whopping $369,633.70.
A breakdown of the other prizes is as follows:
# 200 second dividends of $150.70 each for 30 points.
# 410 third divdends of $36.75 each for 29 points.
# Sales totalled $609,028.50 on 2,697 coupons -- up from $492,489.00 and 2,271 coupons the previous week.
On a day when the Errol Waugh-trained GAILY DECORATED emerged the genuine pool beater, the only other horse that was sadly missed was MEDICAL KARAMBA at 4-1 in the last race. Here, some 80 percent of players carried the budding Superstakes contender BRINGDIMONEYCOME as a banker by virtue of his fast-time runaway victory over the circular nine course on October 4.
But BRINGDIMONEYCOME was unable to cope with the sprinter's pace of the very fit CATCH THE RUMOUR, got bogged down in mid-field and looked hopelessly one-paced in the straight, eventually finishing 6 1/4 lengths seventh.
BRINGDIMONEYCOME certaintly did not live up to his name as one of my good friends found out. After GAILY DECORATED had romped the seventh, he declared himself a winner with BRINGDIMONEYCOME (as a banker) still to come in the last race. But he soon realised that it's not over until it's over. BRINGDIMONEYCOME flopped badly, leaving him with 28 points.
The defeat of BRINGDIMONEYCOME burst yet another Superstakes bubble, with the prestigious invitational race less than two weeks ago.
Last year's winner and ante-post favourite prior to October 16, MENUDO, finished last of seven to lesser fancied stable-companion COOL WATER in the Governor General's Stakes over the Superstakes distance on Heroes Day, thus dwindling his stocks. And this year's Triple Crown winner I'MSATISFIED blotted his copybook in 'A2' company six weeks ago and all is apparently still not right with him, while RESTLESS WARRIOR was beaten so badly by BRINGDIMONEYCOME on October 4 that he might need an engine to come back into the reckoning.
Of the genuine 'A1' horses slated for the Superstakes, COOL WATER looks the one that could win if the race was run today, as several of the big mames are under the weather at present. Can COOL WATER win the race in another 11 days? That's the question.
Add the abovementioned woes to the fact that none of the overseas-based horses will be participating this year due to inflated air transportation cost, and it won't be so super after all. So much for Caribbean racing integration.
By Orville Clarke
Freelance Writer
