- Michael Sloley
Jockey Andrew Ramgeet raises his whip in triumph as MENUDO wins the 24th running of the Red Stripe Superstakes over 2000 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
MENUDO WAS born to win the Red Stripe Superstakes. And that's a fact.
Ridden by US-based Jamaican jockey Andrew Ramgeet for owner/trainer Richard Azan, the illustrious six-year-old gelding rewrote racing history at Caymanas Park yesterday in winning the prestigious mile and quarter race for the fourth consecutive year, notching his first win from eight starts this season.
He duly surpassed three-time 'Horse of the Year' THE VICEROY who won three Superstakes (1989, 1990, 1992) for trainer Philip Feanny, the last win by a six-year-old.
Although highly fancied at 9-5 in the betting, many experts felt MENUDO was getting too old and proving too difficult to keep fully sound to gain a fourth term. How wrong they were.
In a truly run race, he won by 1 1/2 lengths from the vastly improved three-year-old gelding ROYAL RUN (13-1) with top jockey Trevor Simpson riding for leading trainer Wayne DaCosta, followed by a head to the 8-5 favourite MILLIMETRE with leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths riding for champion trainer Feanny.
Fourth went to the classy four-year-old filly AWESOME POWER (5-2) who beat MENUDO and MILLIMETRE when they last met over the Superstakes distance in the Governor General's Stakes on Heroes Day, October 21.
The big disappointment was the performance of the 7-2 chance SIMPLY MAGIC who was eighth of the 12 runners. The Feanny-trained 3-y-o filly, who won the Triple Crown earlier this season, was outdone by the hectic pace and faded from the final bend.
Passing the stands for the first time, SIMPLY MAGIC, with in-form Trinidadian jockey Brian Harding on board, led narrowly from 90-1 outsider BLACK THATCH under Florida-based female jockey Charlene Hunt. They were followed closed by AWESOME POWER, the rank outsider OK DON and MILLIMETRE with MENUDO not far off.
But SIMPLY MAGIC was never allowed to settle by pesky BLACK THATCH and by the time they galloped towards the half mile, AWESOME POWER and MENUDO moved up to join the two three-year-old fillies.
All four passed the half mile virtually in a line, at which stage MILLIMETRE was stalking them dangerously in fifth. As they swung into the straight, however, MENUDO, who had taken over narrowly from AWESOME POWER approaching the final bend, braced himself for the drive.
With MILLIMETRE threatening a furlong out and ROYAL RUN coming with a long run on the outside, MENUDO put paid to their chances by finding another gear, winning decisively. In the battle for second, ROYAL RUN got up in the nick of time to relegate MILLIMETRE to third.
A jubilant Andrew Ramgeet said afterwards: "The plan was to send him through at the half mile. But I had so much horse under me that I could have gone through from any point in the backstretch. I knew if I turned for home on top, it would be all over bar the shouting, because this is his race.
"Few jockeys can ride Menudo effectively. You have to know him, you have to understand him to get the best results," explained the three-time champion jockey who won aboard the two-time 'Horse of the Year' for the third straight year.
Azan also added his two cents worth: "I was very worried about him this time, but he came through for me once again. This horse is a true champion".
Although out of luck with MILLIMETRE and SIMPLY MAGIC in the $3 million Superstakes, the latter being denied a $1 million bonus from CTL in failing to win, Feanny won two of the four major races.
Top sprinter I'MSATISFIED, a 2-5 favourite, romped the $1.5 million Red Stripe Caribbean Sprint over 1200 metres by 7 1/4 lengths from the much improved three-year-old gelding CAPTAIN BLIGH, while 1-9 favourite A KING IS BORN made all in the $1.25 million ed Stripe 2-Y-O Breeders' Stakes over 1400 metres to be unbeaten in four starts. Both were ridden by Winston Griffiths who ended the day on 1,449 career wins.
The other major sponsored race, the $1 million Red Stripe Mile for imported horses, went to 8-5 second favourite METEOR MAN, one of thre winners for trainer Wayne DaCosta on the card. The trainer also won the opening WITRA Distaff with 6-1 chance ZULU PRINCESS.
Meanwhile, the US$15,000 Red Stripe International Jockeys' Championship contested by seven teams on four select races, was won by Panama, represented by Ameth Robles and Rojidan Ramirez, withn62 points ahead of the overseas-based Jamaican team (Ramgeet, Ellis) with 50.
