Bank on Yamashita's Gold

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The Pick-9 starts anew at Caymanas Park tomorrow after it was caught by a lucky punter on Wednesday. He walked away with a cool $1 million.

Tomorrow's Pick-9 will embrace all nine races on the card and the Super-6 encompassing races four to nine.

The Super-6 gets under way with a 5-y-o and up restricted allowance IV (non-winners of three) to be contested by eight starters over 1100 metres.

Bearing in mind the distance, the one to beat must surely be the speedy DEVILISH ISHA, the mount of in-form claiming apprentice Jevvanne Erwin.

Now taking orders from trainer Randolph Scott, the seven-year-old mare was brave in defeat when last raced over 1200 metres on June 23, failing by a length to catch the speedy RUSHELLE in a eight-horse field. The Alisios offspring apparently has less to do in present company, and despite the sound claims of HERETOENTERINTY under champion jockey Omar Walker, and also RUNE, DEVILISH ISLA should take a lot of catching.

Eight maiden three-year-olds are down to contest the fifth race over 1500 metres, and here it looks much harder to unravel with the likes of CLASSICAL BABE, CHADHALIA, TITANIUM KING and SAINT JACORY expected to figure prominently.

CLASSICAL BABE beat all barring CRUISER over 1820 metres last Saturday, a race in which the then lightly weighted CHADHALIA finished third, a length behind CLASSICAL BABE. With champion jockey Omar Walker replacing lightweight apprentice Richard Cole aboard CHADHALIA, the chestnut filly should benefit from stronger handling and will make a brave bid. CLASSICAL BABE, who some weeks ago finished only 11/2 lengths fourth (running on strongly) to ACCOUNTFORMAVERICK over 1400 metres, reverts to a more suitable trip and along with the lightly raced but useful TITANIUM KING (visor on) should ensure a close contest.

Go one better

Having failed by a short head to catch KRYPTOGRAM over 1300 metres on July 10, HERROYALJIGHNESS is confidently expected to go one better in the sixth race over 1200 metres in which she carries a mere 47.0kg for the services of young Cole. The chestnut filly from the stables of Noel Ennevor has been kept on the move at exercise and gets the nod over PRINCESS AMOYA and RUN SMILE RUN.

The down-in-class YAMASHITA'S GOLD has little to beat in the seventh, race No. 1 in the CTL second series over 1100 metres, in which 10 starters have been declared. The seven-year-old gelding finished a fair fifth to DANCING SAM after leading for over 600 metres in much better company (claiming $350,000) over the straight on July 14, and now running on a $250,000 tag, should prove too good for hat-trick seeker PAT ON CALL and CIRCLE DROME.

Winning ways

THE GUV, narrowly beaten by the 2009 Superstakes winner HOMBRE over 1820 metres on May 22 when having the subsequent Triple Crown winner MARK MY WORD just behind in third, should resume winning ways in the eighth race (open allowance) for the L.C. McKenzie Memorial Trophy over 1400 metres, a race in which back-to-form CHADMAN and MACHISMO are twin dangers. Then, take the stretch-running MAZDA POWER to catch the sparingly raced MR THEO-PHILUS and FAREED in the closing race (non-winners of two) over 1200 metres, to be contested by 10 starters.

SUPER-6 FANCIES

(4) DEVILISH ISHA/HERETOETERNITY

(5) CLASSICAL BABE/TITANIUM KING

(6) HERROYALHIGHNESS

(7) YAMASHITA'S GOLD

(8) THE GUV/CHADMAN/MACHISMO

(9) MAZDA POWER/MRTHEOPHILUS