Mr Solo feature gets a Caribbean Kiss

LITTLE-FANCIED Caribbean Kiss made every metre to win the feature Mr Solo Starter Allowance race on the Carib Great Race Friday Lime at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday. Relishing the sloppy track conditions, jockey Rajpaul Rajkumar had the Irish-bred filly out of the starting gates in a flash, and try as locally-bred speedster Salsa Moves may, Caribbean Kiss was not going to be caught. Pre-race favourite Lit D’Amour was slowly into stride from the off in the 110 metres event run on the main track instead of the turf course, and was always struggling to catch up to the leaders and could manage only third.

A fast-finishing Honor Bound rallied to take second with the effort of catching Caribbean Kiss telling on the fleet-footed Salsa Moves who was relegated to fourth. Despite failing to win the first race for two-year-olds for the first time in three years, owner-trainer-breeder Maniram “Boboy” Maharaj still managed to star on the day saddling three winners — Mandela, Lovetillidie and Mister Hypocrit. But his raging two-year-old favourite Luann’s Passion finished a well-beaten third to winner Arts And Lovers and Jamaican-bred runner-up Flying Millie. 

Jody Arneaud who was astride two of Maharaj’s runners was the star jockey. There were a few surprise winners, biggest being V For Victory who rewarded backers with $17.70 and $9.90 on the tote. Backers of Caribbean Kiss collected $15.20 and $4.90, while those turfites who preferred A Firm Relief took away $$13.60 and $2.90. Next raceday is on Saturday when the feature event on the 10-race programme will be the Allowance race worth $26,000 over 1200 metres.