Bigdaddykool wins at a canter-
IT WAS easier than taking candy from a baby. BIGDADDYKOOL was handed a gift and duly accepted yesterday’s Nigel B Nunes Memorial, running past St Leger winner MARQUESAS a furlong and a half out, winning by six and a half lengths, completing separate two-timers for jockey Linton Steadman and trainer Anthony Nunes.
Mercilessly set among open allowance runners, because of conditions that allow horses a drop in class, nine months after their last win in graded stakes, it was always a matter of how far BIGDADDYKOOL would have won, though he surprisingly came home at a king’s ransom, getting even-money in the ninehorse field.
Normally having to push when racing against his peers in graded stakes, Steadman was instead a passenger down the backstretch as BIGDADDYKOOL loped along in fourth-fifth before easing into third three furlongs out, going in chase of long-time leader LIGHTNING LILY and MARQUESAS.
MARQUESAS ran his usual brave race, briefly grabbing the lead from LIGHTNING LILY, before surrendering to BIGDADDYKOOL, who lengthened his long legs to win with Steadman standing tall in the saddle.
A warm-up for the November 10 Superstakes at 10 furlongs, which he needs to win to gain an automatic spot in December’s Diamond Mile, BIGDADDYKOOL clocked 1:53.0 for nine furlongs and 25 yards, on a fast track, still an ominous message to Saturday’s Gold Cup winner, WILL IN CHARGE.
BIGDADDYKOOL closed a double for Nunes and Steadman. Nunes, in whose late father’s honour the feature was run, had opened the programme with 3-1 shot SHE’S SYMBOLIC.
Steadman booted home evenmoney chance TRANSFUSION in the fourth to outdo the hot, new apprentices, who accounted for four winners on the 11-race card.
CAMPERDOWN HIGH coach Christopher Bender, said his team is looking not to concede when they face Excelsior in a tough ISSA/Digicel second round first-leg game at Stadium East this afternoon, in the second game of a doubleheader, at 3:00 p.m.
Camperdown topped Group C with 26 points, after eight wins and two draws from 10 matches, scoring 18 times and conceding five, while, Excelsior finished second in Group E on goal difference behind St Catherine high. However, the Mountain View school has been way more prolific than their opponent with 41 goals scored and five conceded.
"We have not scored a lot of goals like Excelsior, but you have to play who you have. We are the home team and we will try our best not to concede in the first leg. Our aim is to get the advantage, so we have to concentrate on ourselves," he said.
OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED
"We have been doing well. We finished September well in terms of achieving our objectives, and we started October well by having two wins back to back.
"Now we want to continue the trend, but we know Excelsior is a formidable opponent. We played them preseason in the Ali Cup and I am sure they has improved. We have improved as well, so it will be a good match up. Hopefully we can come out with the result we desire," he said.
Shaquille Bradford, with eight goals to his name, has been Camperdown's leading player this season and he is expected to get good support from Sean Daley, Gary Edwards, goalkeeper Prince-Daniel Smith and defender Navado Allen.
"Excelsior lost only one game during the season and they turned it around the second round and defeating that team, so you know they are a good team. We are quietly confident and once we play well, we will get the result as a consequences of playing well.
"The team is focused and they realise where we are and know they need to step up a notch. There is room for improvement and hopefully we can start that in these two matches," he said.
Excelsior's main threat will come from captain Rohan Beadle and Damorney Hutchinson.
Denham Town take on Wolmer's in the first game at 1:00 p.m.