‘Banking’ risks exposed in Reggae 6

SATURDAY's Reggae 6, which started and ended with favourites, IANNAILINKS and YOU'RE MY SWEETIE, losing in contrasting fashion, again highlighted the risks of 'banking', using one selection in a race, despite all indicators pointing to that horse being unsaddled in the winners' enclosure.

Chasing a Reggae 6 mandatory payout, IANNILINKS appeared a logical banker for punters to start the afternoon on a winning note. Unfortunately, bettors didn't get a run for their money, IANNAILINKS failing to finish the six and a half-furlong event for $350,000 claimers.

It was a heart-rending end to many tickets, losers without a chance, highlighting unsoundness among claimers and bringing into question whether mandatory race-day veterinary examinations should be effected, as done in other racing jurisdictions.

CASUAL PEACH won the Reggae 6 opener at odds of 3-1 ahead of 12-1 outsider, BAD INVESTMENT, setting the stage for $1.99 million paid on 11 winning tickets each, a payout influenced by favourite YOU'RE MY SWEETIE's loss in the closing leg of the popular bet.

Traffic problems down the backstretch, resulting in a stewards' enquiry, led to runner-up YOU'RE MY SWEETIE's loss to 5-1 chance, CANDI GIRL, who would have been no match for the favourite on whom Lady Luck turned her back.

YOU'RE MY SWEETIE came charging inside the final furlong after being hopelessly out of it, almost hauled up along the rail, midway the six-furlong event for three-year-old maidens, made worse on a track rendered sloppy by heavy rain after the fourth event.

WAYNE'S PRINCESS was a textbook form-players' winner of the second event, a 4-5 favourite, followed by LUCY IN THE SKY, who surprisingly went off at 5-2 as second-choice to runner-up NAKAMURA, the 3-5 favourite.

Finally shackled by the whip rule, which he had flouted after repeated warnings and fines before being sent on a five-day suspension starting this weekend, Robert Halledeen was not his usual potent self aboard favourite BRENDA BOY in the fifth, outbattled by late-running KING PYE at nine furlongs and 25 yards.

Halledeen's dilemma was again played out in the seventh, Dick Cardenas aboard ANOTHER ONE collaring MISS MONEYPENNY at five furlongs straight, two close losses for Jason DaCosta to rival Anthony Nunes in their heated stakes battle.

It's left to be seen whether Halledeen losing his sting, being handcuffed by the whip rule, will blunt DaCosta's confidence in the rider who delivered major big races such as last year's Mouttet Mile and this season's St Leger and Jamaica Derby with his swashbuckling style.

Meanwhile, leading rider Raddesh Roman must still be wondering what prompted him to choose FLORINDIA ahead of Nunes' SUPREMASI in the O & S Tack Room feature event.

SUPREMASI won easily with mature claiming rider Romario Spencer, clocking 1:40.0 for a mile after getting rid of Roman and FLORINDIA early down the backstretch.

sports@gleanerjm.com