Phantom Menace ducks out

FIRST Citizens Bank Caribbean Championship Stakes winner Phantom Menace has ducked out of Saturday’s Handicap 1 and Lower event at yesterday’s declaration stage. This leaves six runners to contest the 1700 metres Turf highlight on the Arima Race Club Day 2 card at Santa Rosa Park, Arima. Standing their ground in the staying event worth $32,000 are Millenium Reign, Top Of The Class, and Mucho Tempo, winners of the Royal Oak Derby the past seasons. Also standing firm and adding flavour to the main event on Saturday’s nine-race programme is Sagicor Independence Cup Trophy runner-up Fantastic Story.

Also in it are the much improved Mandela and Ichiban, who are set to enjoy lumps of weight from the quartet. The Restricted Handicap for which 16 entries which were taken on Monday saw three from the lot choosing to stay indoors, and a similar being re-routed to the Allowance event. Thge latter is the supporting highlight which is set to get the card with 99 runners a flying start at 12.45pm. The field of nine left in the 1100 metres Turf dash will pull the curtains down on the seconds day of of the new racing season. The Optional Claiming $10,500 event was best filled with 19 runners, and was followed by the $7,500 claimer with 15 and the West Indian Bred four-year-olds and over maidens with 14.

The Allowance contest is the other field to have reached double digits. Ten speed merchants are down to contest the 1200 mketres opener. Ricardo Jadoo and champion apprentice Gary Laban were the best booked riders on the card. The competent duo will each sit aboard eight runners, followed by champion Brian Harding with seven. Attracting trainers’ attention also was sixteen-year-old apprentice Neala Mohammed. The three-kilo claimer with a body weight of 44.5 kilos is yet to  visit the winners enclosure yet but was sought for five rides, two of which will be for champion trainer John O’Brien. He will sit aboard Millenium Reign in the feature.

Following are the framed races, entries, weights and jockeys for the entire card.

RACE 1: (12.45pm) ALLOWANCE - W I BRED 3 Y.O WINNERS AND IMPORTED 3 Y.O & OVER - PURSE - 26,000 - 1200 METRES.

1. Sweet N’ Beautiful - 46.5 - C.Jadoo, 2. Man Of Class - 56.5 - G.Laban, 3. Joint Venture - 46.5 - D.Gaff, 4. Copy Cat - 48.5 - A.Stephen, 5. Salsa Moves - 48.5 - J.Arneaud, 6. Laura’s Boy - 48.5 - K.Bissoon, 7. Ghost Meadow - 51.5 - R.Rajkumar, 8. Golden Honour - 46.5 - R.Jadoo, 9. Mister Hypocrit - 48.5 - R.Singh, 10. Native Love - 46.5 - R.Badal.

RACE 2: (1.18pm) IMPORTED 3 Y.O & OVER MAIDENS - PURSE $23,000 - 1200 METRES.

1. Miss Real Quiet - 51.5 - F.Razack, 2. Miss Julie - 53.5 - R.Ramirez, 3. Premier Attraction - 55.5 - R.Jadoo, 4. Stonebright - 53.5 - R.Rajkumar, 5. Fearless Angel - 46.5 - G.Laban, 6. Gray Warrior - 56.5 - B.Harding, 7. Sky Storm Rising - 51.5 - K.Bissoon.

RACE 3: (1.53) W I BRED 3 Y.O MAIDENS - PURSE $22,000 - 1100 METRES.

1. Trini Express - 56.5 - B.Harding, 2. Prince Charming - 56.5 - R.Jadoo, 3. Brilliant Star - 56.5 - J.Arneaud, 4. Baby Mass - 54.5 - V.Charles, 5. Lauralee Inflight - 44.5 - D.Gaff, 6. Unintentionally - 52.5 - H.Emamalie, 7. Unforgiveable - 54.5 - S.Rodrigo, 8. Sequin - 54.5 - J.Stephen, 9. Run Mani Run - 55.5 - R.Ramirez.

RACE 4: (2.28pm) 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($30,000 - $26,000)  - W I BRED 4 Y.O NON-WINNERS OF SIX RACES - PURSE $21,000 - 1750 METRES.

1. Bon Voyage - 50.5 - R.Rajkumar, 2. Squee Zintru - 51.5 - B.Harding, 3. Morgan Heritage - 56.5 - W.Galviz, 4. Supremely Satisfied - 56.5 - N.Abrego, 5. Chief Commander - 56.5 - G.Laban, 6. Groomsman - 51.5 - J.Stephen, 7. Life In Russia - 53.5 - R.Jadoo, 8. City Of Lights - 51.5 - A.Stephen, 9. Silver Bullet - 56.5 - R.Jadoo.

RACE 5: (3.06pm) W I BRED 4 Y.O & OVER MAIDENS - PURSE $14,000 - 1100 METRES (TURF).

1. Mayaro Breeze - 52.5 - S.Rodrigo, 2. Joint Account - 50.5 - G.Laban, 3. Deadsure (R 1) - 44.5 - N.Mohammed, 4. Buffalo Soldier (M O) - 56.5 - N.Abrego, 5. Never Ever Worrie - 52.5 - K.Chandler, 6. Picture Picture - 56.5 - J.Arneaud, 7. Return To Sender - 51.5 - J.Stephen, 8. Tiger Lily - 54.5 - W.Galviz, 9. Lady Banker - 44.5 - D.Gaff, 10. Carefree - 50.5 - N.Samaroo, 11. The Terminator - 56.5 - R.Ramirez, 12. Saucy Wow - 50.5 - F.Razack, 13. Skippy’s Dream - 44.5 - R.Rajkumar, 14. Badabing - 50.5 - A.Stephen.

RACE 6: (3.44pm) 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING ($7,500 - $6,500) - W I BRED 4 Y.O MAIDENS, W I BRED 5 Y.O NON-WINNERS OF TWO RACES - PURSE $17,000 - 1200 METRES.

1. Mir On Fire - 51.5 - N.Mohammed, 2. Wild Life - 54.5 - R.Jadoo, 3. Lovely Pearl - 49.5 - S.Rodrigo, 4. Samana Song - 51.5 - N.Samaroo, 5. Politics - 53.5 - G.Laban, 6. Runaway Rocket - 55.5 - N.Abrego, 7. Magen - 45.5 - W.Galviz, 8. Seductive - 51.5 - K.Chandler, 9. Tea Time Doc - 56.5 - J.Stephen, 10. Return To Glory - 51.5 - R.Singh, 11. Tora Bora - 52.5 - B.Harding, 12. Badpayjamesee - 52.5 - J.Arneaud, 13. Sunday Jewel - 53.5 - R.Rajkumar, 14. Justice - 45.5 - H.Emamalie, 15. Female Bandit - 54.5 - V.Charles.   

RACE 7: (4.22pm) 3 Y.O & OVER OPTIONAL CLAIMING (10,500 - $8,500) - W I BRED NON-WINNERS OF TWO, 5 Y.O AND OVER NON-WINNERS OF THREE RACES - PURSE $18,000 - 1350 METRES.

1. Entertainer (R1) - 51.5 - R.Jadoo, 2. Born To Charm - 54.5 - W.Galviz, 3. Nowornever - 56.5 - A.Stephen, 4. Chief Of Staff - 56.5 - R.Singh, 5. Ballybunion - 55.5 - N.Mohammed, 6. Creme Caramel - 54.5 - K.Jadoo, 7.
2-Sharp - 56.5 - C.Jadoo, 8. Redoubled - 52.5 - B.Harding, 9. New Star - 53.5 - G.Laban, 10. Evil Kneevle - 56.5 - K.Chandler, 11. Fantastic Lad - 56.5 - R.Chadee, 12. Sunset - 56.5 - S.Rodrigo, 13. Comanchero - 56.5 - N.Abrego, 14. Nobleman - 56.5 - R.Singh, 15. Speed - 54.5 - H.Emamalie, 16. El Guerrouj (R 2) - 50.5 - K.Bissoon, 17. Bold Fapp (R 3) - 45.5 - R.Rajkumar, 18. Champagne Wager - 53.5 - N.Mangalee, 19. Living In Hope - 55.5 - J.Arneaud.
 
RACE 8: (4.55pm) HANDICAP 1 AND LOWER - W I BRED 3 Y.O WINNERS AND IMPORTED 3 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $32,000 - 1700 METRES (TURF).

1. Ichiban - 44.5 - W.Galviz, 2. Mandela - 46.5 - G.Laban, 3. Millenium Reign - 46.0 - N.Mohammed, 4. Top Of The Class - 56.5 - C.Jadoo, 5. Fantastic Story - 55.0 - B.Harding, 6. Mucho Tempo - 50.0 - R.Jadoo.

RACE 9: (5.25pm) RESTRICTED HANDICAP - W I BRED 3 Y.O WINNERS AND IMPORTED 3 Y.O & OVER - PURSE $22,000 - 1100 METRES.
1. Rhythm Divine - 56.5 - B.Harding, 2. Lady Rossie - 45.0 - D.Gaff, 3. Smooth Operator - 53.5 - J.Arneaud, 4. Java Takeover - 49.0 - D.Gaff, 5. Soul Asylum (M O) - 58.0 - K.Chandler, 6. First Time - 47.5 - R.Jadoo, 7. Sure Ting - 54.0 - G.Laban, 8. Royal Miss - 53.5 - J.Stephen, 9. Maid Of Honour - 48.0 - N.Mohammed.