By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterIN AN impressive display, MENUDO romped the 22nd running of the Red Stripe Superstakes over 2000 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday, joining illustrious campaigner THE VICEROY as the only back to back winners of the prestigious Invitational race for three-year-olds and upward.
Ridden by champion jockey Andrew Ramgeet for owner/trainer Richard Azan, MENUDO, sent off a 6-5 favourite, streaked home by 5 1/2 lengths from rank outsider PROCEEDACCORDINGLY, who at odds of 70-1 was the least fancied in the field of 14. The runner-up was ridden by two-time local champion, the US-based Trevor Simpson.
Long-time leader BRINGDIMONEYCOME (8-1), the mount of apprentice Kenyatta Davis, finished a farther 1 1/4 lengths third, while fourth went to this year's Triple Crown winner I'MSATISAFIED, a 3-1 second favourite under leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths.
It was the Jose Pinchin-trained PROCEEDACCORDINGLY who led narrowly from BRINGDIMONEYCOME, ZEEDON, PALMETTO XPRESS and MEDICAL KARAMBA a they thundered past the stands for the first time, at which stage MENUDO was held up several lengths off the pace in midfield.
BRINGDIMONEYCOME assumed the lead from PROCEEDACCORDINGLY coming out of the mile turn and proceeded to call the tune, some two lengths clear of PROCEEDACCORDINGLY and the 50-1 outsider PALMETTO XPRESS.
By the time they reached the halfway stage, however, MENUDO was moving sweetly on the inside rails. He improved rapidly to be joint third with PALMETTO XPRESS passing the half mile and turned for home in a tight space between the leader BRINGDIMONEYCOME and PROCEEDACCORDINGLY.
Moving into overdrive, MENUDO came upsides BRINDIMONEYCOME early in the straight. And it was all over in a matter of strides.
Driven out by Ramgeet approaching the distance, MENUDO moved farther and farther away to win in the fairly good time of 2:06.2.
In the battle for second, PROCEEDACCORDINGLY stayed on pluckily to relegate BRINGDIMONEYCOME to third, while I'MSATISFIED who made good headway to turn for home some five lengths fourth (wide), kept on to hold that position safe.
An elated Ramgeet said MENUDO showed that he is a class act. "This is a Horse of the Year performance", declared the three-time champion jockey.
"I rode him to save ground on the inside and he was moving so well after turning into the backstretch that I could have gone through from the five. But I simply bided my time behind the leaders and it was all over from early in the straight", said Ramgeet who had previously won the Superstakes aboard the filly RESTLESS BABE in 1994.
Azan, on the other hand, posted his third Superstakes winner following 'Horse of the Year' DORVAL (1995) and MENUDO's dual triumph. Bred by Owen Palmer, MENUDO is a four-year-old chestnut colt by The Medic out of The Peacemaker mare Making Peace. This was his fourth win from seven starts this season and with yesterday's super payday, his lifetime earnings stand at a whopping $6.4 million.
Meanwhile, on what turned out to be a tough day for form players, the 35-1 outsider RUCKUS (Roger Moore) got up in the nick of time to catch and beat stable-companion and last year's winner SPECTACULAR RUN in the Red Stripe Caribbean Sprint over 1200 metres. Both horses are trained by outgoing champion Wayne DaCosta, who also saddled the first two last year.
The Errol Waugh-trained GAILY DECORATED (3-1), ridden by apprentice Ramon Parish, wore down last year's winner DEPUTY'S REPORT to win the Red Stripe Mile for imported horses, while 25-1 outsider PEACE & LOVE (Simon Husbands) was awarded the Red Stripe 2-Y-O Stakes in the Stewards' Room. And for the second year running, Trinidad and Tobago (Rajpaul Rajkumar, Ricardo Jadoo) won the Red Stripe International Jockeys' Championship, totalling 36 points, eight more than the Overseas-based Jamaican team of Trevor Simpson and Wesley Henry.
