Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Apprentice Kerry-Gayle Robinson (left) pushing 4-1 shot BLOW WIND BLOW to narrow victory over 4-5 favourite SHAHID (Wesley Henry) in the Emancipation Day, (August 1, 2005) Trophy feature at Caymanas Park. Apprentice Omar Walker has the leg-up today on BLOW WIND BLOW, who is favoured to land the feature Alty V. Armond Memorial Cup. - Carlington Wilmot Photo
Saturday-to-Saturday race meets continue at Caymamas Park today until the first mid-week event for 2007 trips in on Wednesday, January 31.
Today's well-supported 11-race programme features the annual mile-and-quarter race for the Altamont V. Armond Memorial Cup (claiming $290,000-$260,000) over 2000 metres to be contested by seven starters.
The feature aside, both the Pick-9 and Super-6 boast huge payouts if either can be caught today.
The Pick-9 offers a whopping $5.9 million carryover from last Saturday, while the Super-6 has $1.9 million in the kitty. With heavy betting expected, the Super-6 could top the $4 million mark. And the Pick-9 promises a payout in excess of $8 million.
Down In Class
In the day's feature, two-turn specialist BLOW WIND BLOW, now dropped in class, looks the one to beat in the Alty Armond Memorial feature, especially with the distance now to his liking.
The mount of competent claiming apprentice Omar Walker, BLOW WIND BLOW, was not really disgraced last time out (December 20) when finishing a fair sixth to OH NO GRANDPA over 1600 metres, this on a $350,000 tag.
Now stepping down and the trip more suitable, the seven-year-old gelding by Arabica out of Stormy Weather should come into his own and prove hard to beat from the convenient mark of 51.0kg.
When last going two turns on August 26, BLOW WIND BLOW streaked home by 6-1/4 lengths from NO TEAR over the circular nine course. And he subsequently won by 13 lengths from MEDICAL ACCOUNT, a recent winner, over 1800 metres on October 25.
stiff competition
Kept active in the pool coming into this race, BLOW WIND BLOW can expect stiff opposition from the free-running SATISFIER, who will get the distance, as well as RAINBOW TRAIN and SOY MUJER. The latter will love the distance, and although flattering to deceive on a number of occasions hails from an in-form stable and with the late kicking RAINBOW TRAIN, are twin dangers to BLOW WIND BLOW.
I am expecting BLOW WIND BLOW to race just off the early pace to be more than likely set by SATISFIER and ME LLAMO before starting his winning run from the half mile.
Other firm fancies on the card are BLUE MAGIC with former champion Emilio Rodriquez aboard to upstage main rival NEGRIL LASS in the second race; MEDICAL REPORT who was narrowly beaten by Gold Cup winner JUST SOME THOUGHTS recently to rebound at the expense of DIESEL in the open allowance third race over the straight course; unbeaten YOSHI (working well) to lead home FIRE D TRAINER in the sixth; TOBAGO to thwart hat-trick seeker SIR KHAN in the seventh; and CALABASH BAY to lead home FUSILIER in the 10th for overnight-allowance horses.
