Sugar Mike, Phantom Menace for Bajan Gold Cup

TRINIDAD and Tobago will have two representatives in this edition of the  Sandy Lane Gold Cup at the Garrison Savannah, Bridgetown, Barbados, on March 1. Trainer Grant Lourenco confirmed yesterday he will be paying a first subscription of Bds$190 each for both Sugar Mike and Phantom Menace to compete in the 1800 metres event, which has grown in proportions over the years and has attracted runners from the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. Lourenco has already charted a course on which to operate and plans to have both his runners in Barbados at least one month prior to the big event.

He also indicated that Wilma Primus and trainer Glenn Mendez have shown an interest in having Carnival Messiah compete on the same day. The 2002 Triple Crown winner will not be lining up in the Gold Cup but has been earmarked for another crack at the Tanglewood Stakes, the supporting feature on the same programme in which he finished third last year. Lourenco said Primus and Mendez are currently in Barbados and he is  awaiting their return with hopes of ironing out travelling plans with them, which he feels will be cost effective. “On their return I will be discussing with them flight arrangements. “If they agree to travel with us it will be less costly,” he said. First subscriptions for both events will close on Friday. Lourenco is a shrewd trainer and intends to put everything in place for the big occasion. “I will be calling Barbados Turf Club chief executive officer Chris Armond, to arrange the type of stalls and bedding that would be needed for my runners,” he said.

Lourenco has high hopes for both runners and thinks he can win the staying event worth US$109,000. He plans to have them race on the right-handed circular track at least once before the Gold Cup. The young but astute trainer said he was looking at a 1350-metres event as their prep race before having his first crack at the Gold Cup. A Trinidad and Tobago runner last won the Gold Cup  in 1998, when the Roland Khan-owned Call To Account scored with Emile Ramsammy in the saddle. In 2002, Adawar, Another Decision and New Millenium failed to get among the prizes, and last year Solid Gold created no impression in the race won in record time by American-bred Thardy Quill. Thardy Quill gave Jonothan Jones an amazing fourth consecutive in the richest race in the English-speaking Caribbean.