HENRY

The Pick-9 again proved elusive at Caymanas Park on Saturday and the carryover to this Saturday's race meet stands at a whopping $4.3 million.

With the large carryover expected to ignite heavy Pick-9 betting this weekend, a payout of close to $6 million looks a real possibility.

Upsets by WILD SIDE (10-1) and MAMA'S GIRL (9-1) helped to derail punters, despite the fact that leading jockey Wesley Henry rode four winners in the Pick-9 races - METEOR MAN at 2-1 in the third, PRIME SUNDOWN also at 2-1 in the seventh, as well as WILD SIDE and 2-1 favourite SIMPLY AWESOME in the 11th and final.

Five punters with eight of nine winners went close, each receiving $60,045.50.

Super-6

Meanwhile, the Super-6, which had a carryover of $647,000, saw five punters with six of six cashing in, each receiving a cool $319,448.50.

MAMA'S GIRL was not among the Super-6 races hence it is not surprising it was caught. What was surprising though is that only five punters were good enough to spot the six winners.

It is interesting to note that the Pick-9 races produced only two winning favourites in PRECOCIOUS MISS D (6-5) under champion jockey Brian Harding and SIMPLY AWESOME.

Still. there were no startling upsets, even though WILD SIDE and MAMA'S GIRL both paid over $200 to win.

Title-chasing jockey 'Callaloo' Henry is developing a reputation as being the most effective rider of front-running (or free running) horses and he proved this in no uncertain fashion aboard METEOR MAN in the third race, the eight-year-old gelding finding a lot extra when the Charles Hussey-ridden favourite GUIDING LIGHT looked likely to make a race of it when closing up early in the straight. But thanks to Henry, METEOR MAN had a lot in reserve and lengthened his strides to win by five lengths.

As a result of his latest windfall, Henry, the 1997 champion jockey, has regained the lead from Harding in the championship race. He leads with 55, followed by Harding 53, Trevor Simpson 48 and Hussey 47.

- O.C.