Claiming riders show worth on Sunday racecard

RECENT jockeys' school graduates riding with nine-pound claims continue to be worth their weight in gold, winning three races on yesterday's nine-race card including Reggae 6 stunner, ARIA'S REIGN, who landed the fifth event at odds of 13-1.

ARIA'S REIGN and PRINCESS IFIYAH, both ridden by claiming jockeys, Emelio McLean and Tajay Suckoo, respectively, dominated the five-and-a-half furlongs event, forcing a near quarter-million dollar Reggae 6 payout of $249,186.

PRINCESS IFIYAH, a 6-1 shot, chased ARIA'S REIGN relentlessly in a clash of lightweights due to their jockeys' respective nine-pound claims.

Similarly, the Linval McFarlane trophy feature event for overnight-allowance runners was won by United States-bred CHAMPION BUBBLER with Suckoo aboard.

CHAMPION BUBBLER franked her March 1 win, off an eight-month break, with another storming finish at five furlongs straight, overhauling MONEY MARKET close home.

MONEY MARKET had just pounced on 3-2 favourite CHOCOMO and course-specialist JOY IS GOLDEN when 9-1 chance CHAMPION BUBBLER came flying in mid-track with 106lb, 20lb lighter than the local-bred, who was hard done by the conditions book.

Since returning from her lay-up with visor removed, six-year-old CHAMPION BUBBLER has won back-to-back races by showing terrific finishing speed inside the last half-furlong.

Entering the main track fifth but not far off leaders CHOCOMO, JOY IS GOLDEN and MONEY MARKET, CHAMPION BUBBLER sat just behind BULLETPROOFCOFFEE in mid-track before motoring home in 59.3 under a hand ride from Suckoo.

Racing continues on Saturday with a Reggae 6 single-winner bonus of $13.9 million dangling on a card which features the seven-furlong Thornbird and Prince Consort Stakes feature events for classic-bound fillies and colts and geldings, respectively.

sports@gleanerjm.com