94 runners for Indian Arrival Day

SUGAR MIKE, unbeaten in two starts this term and Adawar, last year’s ‘Horse of the Year’ are set to clash for the first time this season.

They are in the Indian Arrival Turf Handicap, feature event on the Arima Race Club Day 16 card at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, on Indian Arrival Day Friday. The duo, considered the best stayers in training, met once previously, and in that meeting in the Trinidad Turf Club Gold Cup on Boxing Day last, Adawar proved superior. Sugar Mike in filling the runner-up spot was having only his second run after arrival from the United States, and has since turned the corner, winning both his starts over shorter trips on the main course.

Friday’s encounter will be the first on the inner circuit for the Grant Lourenco-trained son of Ponche/No Sugar. While the two top money earners have a score to settle in the 1725 metres feature, the event is by no means a match-race, since the five in opposition are emerging stars bent on making further mark by destroying them. Ten West Indian-bred fillies will also be in the spotlight on the 10-race programme which attracted 94 horses. The co-feature named after the illustrious creole Gleneagle, also promises to be keen, having attracted the cream of the three-year-old crop deemed the weaker sex. Among the leading lights using the 1800 metres contest as their prep race before the Midsummer Classic are Golden Honour, Sweet Laura Lee, Cornerstone, Firestorm and Sweet Tempo.

The holiday card was well thought out around this particular time of the year. With the clouds about to open up, the division of five races each on the turf and main course, could well be the design that springs surprises, and with it the big payouts which punters are growing accustomed to.

Following are the framed races, entries, weights and jockeys for the entire card.
RACE 1: (12.20 pm) TAKOOR DAYAL RESTRICTED HANDICAP - PURSE $18,000 - 1100 METRES (TURF).
1. BANDINTHONG (TO) - 52 - R.THOMAS, 2. SQUEEZED MOMENT - 48.,5 - R.JADOO, 3. HONOR BOUND - 57.5 - S.RODRIGO, 4. SEA SPIDER - 54 - R.RAJKUMAR, 5. EMELDA M (TO) - 46.5 -L.KEIZER, 6. LOVELY HONOREE - 51.5 - J.ARNEAUD, 7. NANDO - 50 - R.PERSAD, 8. SPLITTING IMAGE - 55 - H.EMAMALIE, 9. BAZODEE GAL - 47 - W.GALVIZ.

RACE 2: (12.55 pm) CALCUTTA STARTER ALLOWANCE - PURSE $20,000 - 1350 METRES.
1. BITE DE BULLET - 52.5 - S.RODRIGO, 2. CARNIVAL MESSIAH - 54.5 - R.JADOO, 3. GAZA STRIP - 50.5 - W.BHARATH, 4. IN SWINGER - 56.5 - R.FREEMAN, 5. TACTICAL BID - 54.5 - R.THOMAS, 6. FORTUNATE FLAG - 51.5 - W.GALVIZ.

RACE 3: (1.30 pm) VIRAWA - 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL; CLAIMING ($10,500 - $8,500) - PURSE $15,000 - 1350 METRES.
1. COLD RISK - 49.5 - R. RAGOONATH, 2. YANKEE EAGLE - 51.5 - K.BISSOON, 3. GROOMSMAN - 51.5 - R.MANGALEE, 4. EL GUERROUJ - 56.5 - R.HIBBERT, 5. GOLDEN BOY - 55.5 - S.RODRIGO, 6. LITTLE MANIRAM - 55.5 - R.PERSAD, 7. I’M NO HUNTER - 45.5 - G.LABAN, 8. BONUS POINT - 50.5 - N.SAMAROO.

RACE 4: (2.05pm) DUTCHESS OF ARGYLE - 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($7,500 - $6,500) - PURSE $14,000 - 1300 METRES (TURF).
1. ESTILON - 48.5 - R.FREEMAN, 2. SPIN N’SQUEEZE - 46.5 - W.GALVIZ, 3. JENA’S DELIGHT - 41.5 - R.RAGOONATH, 4. CASH REWARD - 47.5 - R.JADOO, 5. RESTLESS RENEGADE - 51.5 - R.PERSAD, 6. ERIN DANCER - 43.5 - L.MUNOZ, 7. SPECIAL GEM - 51.5 - R.RAJKUMAR, 8. SOCA TEMPO - 53.5 - N.SAMAROO, 9. LOVELY PEARL - 50.5 - H.EMAMALIE, 10. REDOUBLED - 53.5 - R.HIBBERT.

RACE 5: PROTECTOR OF THE IMMIGRANT - W.I BRED 3 Y.O & OVER NON-WINNERS OF THREE RACES - PURSE $16,000 - 1100 METRES (TURF).
1. BEAUTIFUL MIND - 53 - N.SAMAROO, 2. A FIRM RELIEF - 54.5 - R.HIBBERT, 3. UPSET ALL - 50 - R.RAJKUMAR, 4. MIR ON FIRE - 56.5 - N.ABREGO, 5. UNDISPUTED - 50 - W.BHARATH, 6. WHAT LEFT - 52 - W.GALVIZ, 7. AFFIRM DECISION - 52.5 - R.PERSAD, 8. QUEEN’S BAND - 56 - J.ARNEAUD.

RACE 6: (3.17pm) CHOTA NAG PUR - 3 Y.O & 0VER OPTIONAL CLAIMIN G ($6,000 - $5,000) - PURSE $11,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. YANKEE - 50.5 - N.SAMAROO, 2. JUSTICE - 53.5 - K.BISSOON, 3. CONFIRMED - 54.5 - H.EMAMALIE, 4. BOBS TREASURE - 51.5 - K.JADOO, 5. TOUR D’ARGENT - 46.5 - W.BHARATH, 6. BADPAYJAMESEE - 55.5 - L.KEIZER, 7. IF ONLY - 51.5 - R.RAGOONATH, 8. KAY GEE BEE - 45.5 - R.JADOO, 9. HOT WAY - 53.56 - R.PERSAD, 10. ONCE IN A LIFETIME - 48.5 - R.RAGOONATH, 11. MAXIMUS - 52.5 - J.ARNEAUD.

RACE 7: (3.54 pm) GLENEAGLE STAKES - W.I BRED 3 Y.O FILLIES - PURSE $60,000 - 1800 METRES.
1. SWEET LAURA LEE - 55 - L.KEIZER, 2. GOLSDEN HONOUR - 55 - H.EMAMALIE, 3. CREME CARAMEL - 55 - K.BISSOON, 4. JOAN OF ARC - 55 - J.ARNEAUD, 5. MY APHRODITE - 55 - R.RAJKUMAR, 6. FIRESTORM - 55 - R.JADOO, 7. CORNERSTONE - 55 - N.ABREGO, 8. SWEET TEMPO - 55 - W.GALVIZ, 9. WILD LIFE - 55 - L.MUNOZ, 10. FULL PF PROMISES - 55 - R.PERSAD.

RACE 8: (4.32 pm) CAPTAIN CUBITT RUNDLE - W.I BRED 3 Y.O MAIDENS - PURSE $20,000 - 1300 METRES (TURF).
1. SENSATIONAL - 54.5 - N.SAMAROO, 2. SEDUCTIVE - 54.5 - H.EMAMALIE, 3. WINNING TRICK - 51.5 - R.PERSAD, 4. PEACE OF MIND - 51.5 - K.BISSOON, 5. FANTASTIC LAD - 52.5 - R.CHADEE, 6. EMBEDDED OPTION (R1) - 51.5 - L.KEIZER, 7. MISS EMMA (R2) - 49.5 - L.MUNOZ, 8. MILLENIUM DANCER - 53.5 - R.THOMAS, 9. TRYING SOMETHING*56.5 - J.ARNEAUD, 10. MILFORD (R3 - 46.5 - D.GAFF, 11. YOU’VE GOT MAIL - 56.5 - R.FREEMAN, 12. BOUND TO DOT COM - 52.5 - G.LABAN, 13. HATRICK - 51.5 - S.RODRIGO, 14. FRESH MANDATE - 53.5 - N.ABREGO, 15. SIR VIDIA - 55.5 - R.JADOO.

RACE 9: (5.10 pm) INDIAN ARRIVAL TURF HANDICAP (OPEN) - PURSE $75,000 - 1725 METRES (TURF).
1. SUGAR MIKE - 55 - R.RAJKUMAR, 2. OUTSWINGER - 49.5 - R.JADOO, 3. INVINCIBILITY - 54.5 - H.EMAMALIE, 4. CANAIMA - 53.5 - W.BHARATH, 5. DOTTIE’S WAY - 49 - W.GALVIZ, 6. MANDELA - 44 - L.KEIZER, 7. ADAWAR - 57.5 - N.ABREGO.

RACE 10: FATEL ROZACK - 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($14,000 - $11,000) - PURSE $16,000 - 1200 METRES.
1. BALTHAZAR - 55.5 - R.JADOO, 2. INDIAN DECISION - 52.5 - N.SAMAROO, 3. NOT TO WORRIE - 50.5 - W.GALVIZ, 4. LIFE IN RUSSIA - 49.5 - L.KEIZER, 5. FEMALE BANDIT - 50.5 - L.MUNOZ, 6. PEACE CONSORT - 44.5 - R.RAJKUMAR, 7. SUNNY - 51.5 - S.RODRIGO, 8. BALLYBUNION - 51.5 - R.RAGOONATH, 9. MAGEN - 46.5 - R.BADAL, 10. ENTERTAINER - 54.5 - N.ABREGO.