Trio of outsiders rock Saturday’s Reggae 6

A TRIO of outsiders rocked Saturday's Reggae 6, which yielded a $259,690 payout to winning tickets, roughly a half of the previous dividend, triggering a $10.2m single-winner possibility to this weekend's jackpot.

Effectively rendered a Pick-5 by LION OF EKATI, who surprisingly went off as an even-money favourite though a cinch for his fifth straight middle-distance win among $350,000 claimers, the Reggae 6 stayed in calm waters for the second event won by GIVING THANKS at prohibitive odds of 2-5.

The tsunami started at the third event when speedy SIPPIN ON SUNSHINE, a $500,000 optional-claiming winner on last, repeated up in class among $700,000 company, completing consecutive victories by running slower rivals off their legs at five and a half furlongs at odds of 8-1.

Another claiming rider, Shavon Townsend, booted home PRINCE AZAIRE at odds of 11-1 to land the fourth at five furlongs straight, outfinishing speedsters on the stands side, including howling United States-bred favourite, ROMAN LADY, who tilted the tote at odds of 1-2 after posting glowing exercise reports at the trip.

Champion jockey Raddesh Roman won the fifth at five and a half furlongs aboard four-year-old maiden LAST POSSESSION, a 1-2 favourite, the first of back-to-back winners foaled by Tashara.

However, DESIGN DIVA, LAST POSSESSION's older half-sister, sired by Savoy Stomp, made all to land the sixth at odds of 11-1 with Jaheim Anderson, who moved to four winners so far this season after booting home a three-timer the previous Saturday.

Reporting super-light with tongue tie fitted for the first time in 33 starts, DESIGN DIVA broke sharply to lead but was taken on by speedy LINSTEAD MARKET, who he tracked to the half-mile marker before making a bid to join the leader from three and a half furlongs out.

Pulling clear of LINSTEAD MARKET approaching the furlong pole, DESIGN DIVA won by almost 10 lengths, Anderson's second 11-1 winner in a week.

Meanwhile, NAUTICAL STAR, the Florida invader who finished ninth as a 2-1 favourite in December's Mouttet Mile, poured scorn on the conditions book, which allows imported winners of multiple races overseas to be immediately lowered two classes should they fail to win the grade-one Mouttet Mile.

Closing the eight-race card as a prohibitive 3-5 favourite among overnight-allowance runners, the level to which local-breds graduate after winning four races, NAUTICAL STAR made light work of the six-furlong St Catherine Cup, romping home almost a dozen lengths clear of fellow American, CHAMPION BUBBLER, a seven-year-old mare, whose best season was last year when she recorded a hat-trick of wins.

Champion jockey Raddesh Roman added to his plethora of armchair rides with a gate-to wire win aboard six-year-old NAUTICAL STAR in whom Anthony Nunes had placed hopes of landing the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile and a come-from-behind win in last season's trainers' stakes race.

Racing continues on Saturday, the second-to-last meet of January.