By Orville Clarke,
Freelance Writer
EIGHT punters with 28 points have shared the $68,056.00 category two prize declared on Saturday's Racing Pools game.
The winners, most of whom hail from the Corporate Area, will each receive $8,507.00.
With maximum 32 points eluding everyone, the carryover to this Saturday stands at $97,224.00.
A breakdown of the other prizes is as follows:
# 24 second prizes of $810.20 each for 27 points.
# 69 third dividends of $140.90 each. No fourth.
# Sales totalled $392,824.40 on 2,135 coupons -- down from $414,717.50 on 2,258 coupons the previous week.
Saturday proved a nightmare for Pools players owing to a number of upsets on the programme. That the winning tally was as low as 28 points attests to this fact. To make matters worse not one favourite was unsaddled in the winners' enclosure, a rarity.
Nearly all players started on the wrong foot when STELLA GREY, owned and trained by Trainers' Association president Lee Clarke, pulled off a 25-1 upset.
Ridden by Charlie Scott, STELLA GREY made all. Although looking likely to be caught in the small field of six, the five-year-old mare hung on grimly by a neck to thwart a late from the 3-5 favourite MOONSTRUCK.
MOONSTRUCK was in receipt of an indifferent ride from top apprentice Ramon Parish who after gaining ground (rails) on the leaders STELLA GREY and highly fancied GENTLE INVADER, unwisely switched his mount to the wide outside rather than awaiting the inside run into the straight. As a result, MOONSTRICK was forced to come very wide into the straight, losing ground in the process. And her stretch run prove a trifle late.
In the next race, DR. PEPPER who was one of the lesser fancied runners in the race at 9-1, ran on strongly under apprentice Kerry Perry to tag 6-5 favourite SEEINGISBELIEVING within shades of the wire, winning by a head.
Although his form was pretty decent, DR. PEPPER was overlooked by many in a race where players went for SEEINGISBELIEVING, SALSA, NUCLEAR POWER and NYAMINYAMI.
Those who happened to survive the first two races (and they were few) were simply blown away by the 18-1 outsider CASINO QUEEN who romped to victory (made all) by six lengths.
Later in the afternoon, The Thornbird and Prince Consort Stakes (Guineas trials) provided us with a clearer picture as to what to expect in the upcoming Track Price Plus' Guineas classics on April 7, especially after the Thornbird Stakes for native bred three-year-old fillies.
The performance of AWESOME POWER was simply awesome. Having allowed her peers weight and handed out a thorough thrashing in the process, the 1000 Gunieas should prove a mere formality for her. She beat everyone who is anyone in the trial and only RED BOOTLACES, who was just nipped on the wire by lesser fancied stable-companin PRINCESS ALEXANDRA for second, could be considered a worthy opponent for her on April 7.
As far as the colts and geldings who contested the Prince Consort Stakes are concerned, the closest I saw to a Guineas contender was PEACE AND LOVE, not the winner PHAREAL.
The Percy Hussey-trained PEACE AND LOVE looked hopelessly outpaced when turning for home 11 lengths ninth. Despite this, he finished like a runaway train on the wide outside, so much so that he would have caught PHAREAL in another stride or two.
Come April 7, PEACE AND LOVE will have the top rated pair of MILLIMETRE and RAKKADASH (they missed the trial) to contend with in the Track Price 2000 Guineas. He faces a really tough task, but fortune has a way of favouring the brave.
