Champions on show Saturday

A number of championship issues could be settled and light will be thrown on some more when the Arima Race Club stage their Day 36 card at Santa Rosa Park, Arima on Saturday.

The day promises to be full of excitement with the staging of three feature events, the Caribbean   Juvenile Sprint, The Caribbean Champion Stakes and the Imported Juvenile Sprint among the 10-race card. The Caribbean Juvenile Sprint looks set to determine this season’s top West Indian bred two-year-old, before the youngsters are separated to race among their own in final tests in the St James Stakes and St Ann’s Stakes. Trainer Maniram “Boboy” Maharaj has dominated the “babes” events this season. With 13 completed, the astute conditioner has won 10 of 11 those events in which his runners have participated. And victory by either of his dual winners Salsa Moves, Java Takeover or Java In Style in Saturday’s 1200 metres contest could seal the championship issue among the two-year-olds. Top Of The Class has also won many admirers with his stout-hearted performances this season.

Victories in the Easter Guineas, Midsummer Classic and the Royal Oak Derby has already placed him in winners’ row as the Champion West Indian three-year-old colt and overall champion of his age group. The champion West Indian bred stayer and “Horse Of The Year” titles hang in the balance and  could also be sealed if the illustrious son of the soil romps to another victory in The Caribbean Champion Stakes over the 1800 metres on the main course. This event will be his biggest test for the dominant front-runner, since he will be facing the best of the older generations in an event in which the previous winner, like him, Carnival Messiah has failed. But with all this in mind, punters will be routing for the son of Freshly Squeezed/Crescendo  from the off with the hope that he adds this elusive event to his resume.

The colt, owned in partnership by Rupert Leong Poi and Merlin Samlalsingh, has already banked $250,000 from Colonial Life Insurance Company for winning this year’s triple crown events. He stands to add a further $750,000 from insurance giants should he capture Saturday’s highlight, which will be simulcasted to Woodbine Racecourse in Canada and other North American tracks. The Imported Juvenile Sprint has a bunch of quality animals, and in it probably some of the best imports to have ever been purchased since racing was centralised at Arima. From the field of 12 listed to go to post, half have already been earmarked to reach the top. Their match-up will be blistering from gate to wire, and the fractions expected are sure to have  tongues wagging, and winner being voted Champion Imported Juvenile Sprinter.