Sugar Mike ready for Sandy Lane Gold Cup

CONNECTIONS of Sugar Mike and Carnival Messiah are sweet on their chances of landing the Sandy Lane Gold Cup and Tanglewood Stakes, the  feature races on the Barbados Turf Club 10-race programme at the Garrison Savannah, Bridgetown, on Saturday. Trainer Grant Lourenco is brimful of confidence his charge Sugar Mike  would land the Sandy Lane Gold Cup, biggest race in the Caribbean which has eluded Trinidad and Tobago since Call To Account won the 1984 edition of the 2000 metres event with Emile Ramsammy aboard. Lourenco who makes regular trips to Barbados during the week to oversee the preparation of this year’s Jetsam Award “Horse of the Year” winner said he could not be more pleased with the shape of  his charge and the manner in which he has adapted to the right-hand circular grass course on which he would compete.

He said last year’s winner Thady Quill, has sustained an injury and could miss the race, improving his chances of lifting the US$59,000 winners’  purse in the 12-horse event. Lourenco said Sugar Mike is in tremendous form, and because of  it was fearful of taking him for a proposed swim. He said he flew out with champion jockey Brian Harding on Friday and could not have been more pleased after a gallop. “He was sent seven furlongs in company with Hard Dancer and when the heat was turned up, he beat off his Bajan rival by a widening margin  in the excellent time of one minute 26 seconds. Lourenco said: “He will have one more light gallop on Wednesday before the race.” The astute young trainer has no fear for the Bajan team of six runners and feels his main opponents would  be Canadian entrants Kathir and Moonshine Hall.

Harding who partnered Sugar Mike in his gallop also thinks highly of  their chances in the staying event which continues to grow in status. At racing headquarters at Arima yesterday, the ace rider said he was satisfied with the No 8 post position drawn for Sugar Mike and plans to have a good early position from the start with the American-bred five record holder over varying distances at Santa Rosa Park. Trainer Glenn Mendez also thinks highly of the chances of Carnival Messiah in the Tanglewood Stakes. He said he was happy with the 2003 triple crown winner and said he would be going into the 1800 metres event much better than last year. Carnival Messiah finished third in the last running of the Tanglewood Stakes which was completed in record time.