BY JIMMIE, STAR Racing Writer
LEADING JOCKEY BRIAN Harding is set to draw first blood against Trevor Simpson when the battle for the 2005 riders' title resumes at Caymanas Park tomorrow.
Harding, who will start the day on 92 winners, three clear of Simpson, should land a quick double -- two-year-old American debutant LA PRESIDENTA in the first race at 1200 metres and OVER DRAFT in the second at 1400 metres.
However, Simpson, looks set to strike back midway the 10-race card with possibly four consecutive winners -- TUTOR in the fifth, TIGERINTHEWOODS in the sixth, ROYAL KINGDOM in the seventh and KING JOSIAH in the eighth.
LA PRESIDENTA, another 'press button' ride from the high-powered barn of Anthony Nunes, Harding's contracted stable, should land the opening event at 1200 metres.
The American filly is nicely bred and has been taking things easily at exercise. However, she caught the railbirds' eyes two Fridays ago, clocking 48.0 for the first half-mile from the gate out of the mile chute.
Harding replacing Richie Reid aboard OVER DRAFT at a mile must be a positive sign. Ignore her last run at 100 metres straight and note how she came flying at the end at 1200 metres in her previous race when narrowly beaten by THUNDER GIRL and subsequent winner KING JOSIAH.
JACKPOTS AT $1.8M
HEARTOFAMAVERICK at 7-1 in the William Read Memorial stumped most Pick-9 bettors Saturday, pushing the carryover to $1.3 m. However, the Super-6 was nabbed, yielding 12 winning combinations each worth $70,195.
The Super-6 will return to its $500,000 guaranteed jackpot, making the total jackpot on offer $1.5 m.
Simpson holds the key to all Pick-9 and Super-6 bets, starting at the fifth race with TUTOR, who is nicely drawn on the stands' side at 1000 metres straight.
Speedy TUTOR is slipping down in class to $290,000 claiming company after finishing a creditable third behind LOCHNESS DRAGON and LE CHIC at 1100 metres two Wednesdays ago.
Simpson could be back in the winners' enclosure aboard TIGERINTHEWOODS in the sixth at 1000 metres straight following the gelding's thrilling dead-heat with SWEET JADE last month. The champion jockey had to call on all his skills aboard SWEET JADE to force a dead-heat and must have been impressed with TIGERINTHEWOODS' run to accept the ride.
ROYAL KINGDOM will be closing too fast for Maiden rivals in the seventh at 1500 metres and KING JOSIAH, a runaway winner for Simpson among Maidens last time out, should notch a quick double against slumping non-winners-of-two at a mile.
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