$5 MILLION PICK SIX CAUGHT BY ONE PUNTER

One lucky punter went home $5,454,965.70 richer after spotting all six winners in the Sunrise 6 at Caymanas Park on Saturday. The Sunrise 6 started with 6-5 favourite Sir Frederick (Linton Steadman), who won comfortably by over two lengths in the opening event.

Things got interesting when Contractor, ridden by Robert Halledeen, came home at odds of 53-1 over the five-furlong (1,000m) straight course. Outrageous Taj (Shane Ellis) at even money, Khaleesi’s Revenge (Oneil Mullings) at 5-2, and Jolly D (Oneil Mullings) at 5-2 kept things calm for the next three races. In the final leg of the Sunrise 6, Oniel Scott brought Fifty Cents home at odds of 10-1 to put a smile on that lucky punter’s face.

There are some hefty carryovers in the Pick-4 of $212,328, with the single winner bonus now standing at $6,688,803.55.

The carry-over for the Super – 6 now stands at $1,310,526.75.

EIGHT HORSES CLAIMED ON SATURDAY

Eight horses were claimed on the 11-race programme at Caymanas Park on Saturday. In the fifth race, Anthony Nunes claimed Big Mistake for owner Tara Nunes for $250,000 from Raymond Townsend; Steven Todd took Nunes’ Milagro for owner Patrick McKenzie for $210,000; Linton Calder claimed Sundance from Rowan Mathie for owner Kirk Ramsay for $250,000; Conroy Tulloch claimed Jolly D from Philip Feanny for $230,000 for owner Ainsley Patterson; Lorne Kirlew claimed Big Black Nation for owner Kevin Whitter from Alford Brown for $250,000, and Edward Stanberry claimed Buck Call for owner The Sopranos for $250,000 from Lawrence Freemantle. In the seventh race, Todd lost Stir It Up to Oneil Markland for himself and Ryan Darby claimed Brave Prospect for owner Raphael Gordon from Errol Waugh. Both horses were claimed for $450,000.

DOUBLE FOR FEANNY AND MULLINGS

The combination of many-time, champion trainer Philip Feanny and the capable Oneil Mullings gave a reminder that they are still very formidable, by scoring a working double on the 11-race race programme.

The duo won with Khaleesi’s Revenge in the fourth race and Jolly D in the fifth race both horses racing over the five-straight (1,000m) course. Breaking from the number one post, the 2Penyu-owned Khaleesi’s Revenge showed good speed from the off and took her time to come across to the centre of the racetrack, to dispute the early lead with several runners.

Crossing the dummy rails, Khaleesi’s Revenge began to draw away from the field with Star (Dane Nelson) chasing, but to no avail as Khaleesi’s Revenge was not for the catching on Saturday, winning by over four lengths. Chrisanli (Shane Ellis) came through for third place with the final time recorded at 59.2.

Jolly D, owned by Trevor Dunkley and who was coming off a seven-month break, also showed good speed from the off and when Mullings asked him for a decisive effort inside the final two furlongs (400m), the bay colt skittered away for a 3 ¾-length win in 1:00.2. Big Mistake (Oneil Beckford) was second and Big Black Nation (Shane Ellis) third. Both Feanny and Mullings were winning their third race for the season.

LINTON STEADMAN CONTINUES GOOD FORM

Linton Steadman, who seems to have regained his form of late, continues to bring home the winners on each race day.

The former champion apprentice, who went completely under the radar last year, notched his ninth win for the season when he won aboard Sir Frederick in the opening event over five and a half furlongs (1,100m). Trained by Ryan Darby, Sir Frederick won by 2 ¾ lengths ahead of Leighton Reid (Phillip Parchment), Sonador Express (Robert Halledeen) and King Nebarue (Paul Francis) in that order in 1:10.3.

“It is always good to ride winners as I am riding in good form, and I just to continue in the same vein,” Steadman said.

A WINNER FOR ANDREW MCDONALD AND ERROL WAUGH

Trainers Andrew McDonald and Errol Waugh were able to notch their first winner for the 2018 racing season at Caymanas Park on Saturday. McDonald won with Fifty Cents in the sixth race going six and a half furlongs(1,300m), while Waugh saddled Brave Prospect in the seventh race going a mile (1,600m).

Ridden by Oneil Scott, Fifty Cents at odds of 10-1, picked up the lead turning for home and outbattled the Wayne DaCosta pair of Winter Is Coming (Jerome Innis) and Radical (Omar Walker) to by 2 ¼ lengths. The final time was 1:20.2.

Brave Prospect, ridden by Wesley Henry, made one move, making every post a winning one. But he had to fight really hard for his neck victory. Brave Prospect drew away from the field at the half-mile (800m) but in deep stretch, the six-year-old dark bay horse had to deal with Coralando (Shane Ellis) and his late surge. Henry kept his mount well balanced and was able to get Brave Prospect over the line by the scuff of his long neck. Old Braeton (Oneil Scott) finished third with the final time of 1:40.4.

HORSE RACING INDUSTRY WARNS BRITS TOO BIG TO RIDE IN POST — BEXIT UK

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The horse racing industry is warning that the average British person is becoming too big to ride thoroughbreds and fears Brexit could hit its ability to find racing grooms.

The stark warning was made in a joint submission to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) from the British Horseracing Authority, National Trainers Federation, and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.

The MAC is a public body that advises on migration issues and last September it asked for briefing papers on the economic and social impact of Britain leaving the European Union.

The consultation was closed but Britain’s Press Association said it had seen the response from the racing industry, which explained it is worth £3.45 billion (US$4.8 billion) to the economy.

There are currently 7,377 registered racing grooms and nearly one in four of those comes from outside the UK, with more than one in 10 being non-UK European Economic Area (EEA) citizens. There are also between 500 and 1,000 current vacancies for racing grooms in yards.

The EEA includes the 28 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, allowing them to be part of the EU’s single market.

The industry wants racing grooms to be treated in the same way after Brexit as other workers in sectors where there are skills shortages.

“Riding a thoroughbred racehorse on a morning’s work (similar to how a test driver would drive a Formula One car) requires not just a low weight (ideally less than nine stones, or 57 kilograms), but also specific skills, experience, and an innate understanding of the thoroughbred racehorse,” the submission said.

“Given wider macro-trends on weight, the proportion of the UK worker population physically capable of riding thoroughbreds, without having a potentially adverse impact on horses’ welfare, is decreasing.”

It explains that British racing recruits grooms from countries with “a wider culture of handling and riding horses” and many of these countries do not have formal qualification frameworks.

Instead, grooms have “the appropriate physical characteristics” and “develop innate skills of horsemanship”.

The paper concludes by saying horse racing is a “clear example” of an industry with a shortage of skilled workers that can “only be resolvable in the short term by the use of migrant labour”.