SUGAR MIKE IN CUP WARM UP

Trinidad and Tobago’s Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup representative Sugar Mike is among seven horses entered for the Rotherley Construction Incorporated Sprint Trophy Handicap to run off at the Garrison Savannah on Saturday. The race to be run over a distance of 1100 metres with a purse of $22,000, is being used by Sugar Mike connections to give him an early feel of the Garrison track. Trainer Grant Lourenco inmate who was voted ‘Horse of the Year’ at the Jetsam Awards last month was among a contingent of four runners which flew out last week to compete in the main events on March 6. In the preparatory dash, Sugar Mike will be coming up against Feet Of Flames, last year’s champion imported horse, the improving Peace Angel, another Gold Cup hopeful, and the speedy Pen In Hand and Sky Beauty among others.

Rotherley Construction Inc, is sponsoring the eight-race card, with the other main event being the $15,000 Rotherley Holding Inc Challenge Trophy for B2 to D2 animals going 1570 metres. Among the ten horses entered in the supporting highlight are Golden Honour and Carnival Messiah. The four-year-old daughter of Freshly Squeezed attached to trainer Andrew Dulal-Whiteway stable is also using the race to famliarise herself with the tight turns on the track before she tackles the Sandy Lane Tanglewood Trophy. Carnival Messiah, on the other hand will be renewing acquaintance with the right-handed course he first graced last year, when he finished third in the Tanglewood. Also entered  in the extended sprint to compete against the two creoles is the new and exciting American-bred import Deputy PM, who has impressed fans so far. At a press conference last week, Kevin Burk, Rotherley’s vice-president of finance and administration, said this would be the company’s first major sponsorship of a sports event. Burke said, it has agreed to sponsor the raceday because the company recognised, among other things, that horseracing provided good family entertainment, and also helped in promoting Barbados as a tourist destination.  Following are entries and weights for both events.

RACE 5: ROTHERLEY HOLDING INC CHALLENGE TROPHY - B2 - D2  (CONDITION) - 1570 METRES.

1. NOBLE IMPORT - 118, 2. CARNIVAL MESSIAH - 133, 3. FOXCOTE - 129, 4. STRONG OPINION - 98, 5. GOLDEN HONOUR - 117, 6. MIDNIGHT THOMAS - 124, 7. KING SOLAR - 98, 8. DEPUTY PM - 116, 9. NICODEMUS - 130, 10. HIGHLAND WATERS - 119. 

RACE 7: ROTHERLEY CONSTRUCTION SPRINT TROPHY HANDICAP  - A1 - D2 - 1100 METRES.
1. GREEN EYED CAT - 100, 2. SUGAR MIKE - 135, 3. SKY BEAUTY - 105, 4. KING SOLAR - 98, 5. FEET ON FLAMES - 135, 6. PEN IN HAND - 120, 7. PEACE ANGEL - 125.