Favourites ensure low mandatory Reggae 6 payout

HEIR OF FIRE opening the Reggae 6 at odds of 5-2, followed by winning favourites in the remaining five races, yesterday resulted in one of the lowest-ever Reggae 6 mandatory payouts to date, $8,296, proving punters spot-on in a pool that started at $14.2m and reached $31.7m.

Champion jockey Raddesh Roman rode two Reggae 6 winners, opening the nine-race card at 1,000 metres straight with HEIR OF FIRE before landing the fifth at six and a half furlongs astride 3-5 favourite LET HIM FLY, moving to 16 wins, one clear of Robert Halledeen after both started the afternoon in a three-way tie on 14 atop the riders' standings with Shane Ellis.

LINGUIST won the second as the 2-5 favourite with Tevin Foster before Halledeen booted home I DREAM AGAIN to a winning debut as the 1-5 favourite among three-year-old maidens, clocking 1:08.0 at five and a half furlongs.

The Soul Warrior-Lady Najariya offspring won by 10 and a half lengths, an impressive debut, two months ahead of May's fillies Guineas.

United States-bred PINEAPPLE won the fourth at 4-5 with Dick Cardenas, continuing the trend of winning favourites, followed by LET HIM FLY. A market-springer, 7-5 favourite HAIL THE QUEEN, made light work of four-year-old maidens at five furlongs round, sending many Reggae 6 bettors to the windows with winning tickets.

Meanwhile, American WALL STREET TRADER, running on a conditions bye among overnight allowance company after beating the level by almost 10 lengths in the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission last August, made a mockery of the Ash Wednesday Trophy at six and a half furlongs.

Fresh from chasing home fellow American, PACK PLAYS, in the January 25 Eileen Cliggott Memorial, beating 2022 Jamaica Derby winner and three-time Jamaica Cup champion, ATOMICA, into third place at six and a half furlongs, WALL STREET TRADER swatted BANADURA off the lead with ease and hardly broke a sweat for the next six furlongs as the 4-5 favourite with claiming rider Shane Richardson.

Ripping splits of 23.3, 46.2 and 1:11.4, WALL STREET TRADER clocked 1:18.4, winning by an effortless five and a half lengths ahead of fellow Americans SHEER DELIGHT and UNSPUN, who lost second close home.