Sugar Mike steals spotlight from Midsummer contenders

CHAMPION Sugar Mike stole the show with a compelling performance on the gallops course at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday morning. But runners in this year’s CLICO Midsummer Classic chose to take things easy having already put in all their serious preparations for tomorrow’s feature race. The Grant Lourenco stable star, whose sequence of nine victories on the main course was halted in the Santa Rosa Dash Handicap last month, looked in tip-top shape and seems ready to pick back up the winning thread with a sharpened run over the last 1000 metres on the exercise in 59.40 seconds. The 2003 “Horse of the Year”  is gearing towards next week’s spotlight Stakes and Lower Handicap over 1750 metres.

Mucho Tempo, French Academy, Takeover and Kato, all “Midsummer” entrants, made appearances doing light work over the 600 and 800 metre courses. The UPTC Guineas winner and runner-up, who are expected to lead the betting market in tomorrow’s classic stretched out over 600 metres. Mucho Tempo paced the trip in a quiet 42.84 seconds, but French Academy had a handy gallop and clocked in 38.50 seconds. Kato who will be attempting to give young trainer Kenneth de Silva Jnr a first classic victory bowled along from the 800 marker in the back stretch to the winning line in the leisurely time of 59.99 seconds, and trainer John O’Brien’s second entry Takeover posted 59.35 in similar fashion.

Following are gallops recorded over the past two days.

YESTERDAY: 400 METRES: Preffered Share and Winning Trick - 23.45, good, Preffered Share better; Rocket Booster - 24.44, good; Lovetillidie - 26.14, handily; Miss Julie - 29.09, pacing; Tricky Guy - 29.88, pacing; Ichiban - 29.89, pacing; Cornerstone - 28.78, pacing; Lovely Pearl - 29.92, pacing; Champagne Wager - 29.01, pacing; Rebel Music - 29.98, pacing; Golden Honour - 29.95, pacing; Ex Bob’s Passion - 29.98, pacing. 
600 METRES: Ballybunion - 38.06, handily; French Academy - 38.50, handily; Lady Secret - 38.13, handily; Lady Rossie - 40.95, handily; Flying Eagle - 40.83, handily; Mucho Tempo - 42.84, pacing; The Chairman - 44.98, pacing; Hyarima - 44.96, pacing; Joint Venture - 44.39, pacing; Copy Cat - 44.26, pacing; Xian and Karzai - 43.92, pacing; Entertainer - 42.68, pacing; Gautama - 44.97, pacing; Millenium Reign - 44.70, pacing; Blondie - 44.99, pacing.
800 METRES: Peace Of Mind - 50.84, good; Renaissance Man - 55.17, handily; Takeover - 59.35, pacing; Ghost Meadow - 59.99, pacing; Kato - 59.46, pacing; Aishwarya - 59.70, pacing; Evil Kneevle - 59.99, pacing; Maid Og Honour - 57.42, pacing; Moulin Rouge - 57.25, pacing.
1000 METRES: Sugar Mike - 59.40, good; Sou Sou Moni - 1:09.69, handily; Kent’s Delight - 1:10.62, handily; Final Set - 1:14.93, pacing; Joint Account - 1:12.91, pacing; Silver Bullet - 1:14.85, pacing; Morgan Heritage - 1:13.54, pacing; Life In Russia - 1:14.99, pacing.
WEDNESDAY: 400 METRES: Cat Woman - 29.92, pacing; Carnival Messiah - 26.95, easy. Samana Song - 28.99, pacing; Phantom Bidder - 29.50, pacing; Moulin Rouge - 29.69, pacing; Royal Red - 27.04, handily; Yaa Asantewaa - 29.63, pacing; Copy Cat - 26.15, easy; Hemlock Falls - 24.89, good (Boxes); Perfect Gem - 28.87, pacing; Morgan Heritage - 28.99, pacing; Mister Hypocrit - 25.59, handily; Ross Avenue - 27.13, handily.
600 METRES:  Pure Delight and Philadelphian - 36.85, good; Cotonou - 43.97, pacing; Peace Of Mind - 40.50, handily; Murphy’s Law - 44.32, pacing; Native Love - 44.13, pacing; Melanie My Love - 38.14, handily; Preffered Share - 43.40, pacing; Joint Venture - 39.99, handily; Bon Voyage - 41.98, pacing; Song Of Freedom - 42.39, pacing; Ring Dang Do - 44.70, pacing.
800 METRES: French Academy - 54.92, handily; Hundred Percent - 55.09, handily; Return To Sender - 59.17, pacing; Sure Honey - 57.00, pacing; Magen - 59.99, pacing; Bandicoot - 59.92, pacing; Seductive - 57.01, pacing; Lovely Pearl - 59.38, pacing; Invincibility - 56.95, pacing; Flying Eagle - 59.66, pacing.
1000 METRES: Mary Magdalene - 1:05.91, handily; Yashoda - 1:09.11, handily; Dunsborough - 1:14.62, pacing; Born To Charm - 1:10.13, pacing; Sugar Mike - 1:12.59, pacing; Synergy and Takeover - 1:12.09, pacing; City Of Lights - 1:13.81, pacing; Golden Honour - 1:14.96, pacing.
1200 METRES: Kato - 1:29.00, pacing; Mucho Tempo - 1:24.84, pacing; Ichiban - 1:29.98, pacing; Millenium Reign - 1:21.11, pacing; Notanothernoble - 1:22.11, pacing; Skippy - 1: 27.93, pacing.

1400 METRES: Kent’s Delight - 1:40.12,
pacing..