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October 18, 2013
Star Sport


 

Princess to pop Cash Pot field
Jimmie, Star Racing Writer

UNLESS PRINCESS POPSTAR's ridiculously easy victory was an illusion, the flying filly won't be caught in tomorrow's 1200-metre Cash Pot 'Only One For Me' trophy race, the first leg of the SVL Two-Year-Old Triple Crown Series.

That's a lot of bravado, considering she is up against two exceedingly talented rivals, a colt and a gelding, who, by racing edict, should beat an equally good filly.

However, despite the claims of the gelding, INSANE BOLT, and the chestnut colt, BOY WONDER, a 14-length winner on debut, PRINCESS POPSTAR should blaze her way to victory at 1200 metres.

First, she is amazingly quick, never off the bridle when clocking 59.1 in her lone start, at 1000 metres round, on September 11. Percy Williams was absolutely motionless astride the Philip Feanny-trained filly as she streaked home by 19 lengths.

Second, she is getting weight from her main rivals, seven pounds from Wayne DaCosta's INSANE BOLT and four from Ian Parsard's BOY WONDER.

Third, she hasn't skipped a beat at exercise since her smashing debut, twice clocking sub-minute times for five furlongs round, dispatching stablemate CAMPESINO on both occasions.

Fourth, for what it is worth, she is a half-sister to TYPEWRITER, last year's derby and St Leger winner, and the ante-post favourite for next month's Superstakes.

Fifth, her trainer, Feanny, has been showing glimpses of the form that won him 14 championship titles at Caymanas Park.

If those aren't reasons enough to go with PRINCESS POPSTAR, then throw in the fact that she will be partnered by Percy Williams, who is bound to get her off to an electric start.

INSANE BOLT and BOY WONDER both have impeccable credentials, both flying at exercise, matching strides and even beating far more accomplished stablemates.

The more experienced INSANE BOLT, a winner of two races from three starts, galloped with grade-one United States-bred BLAST THEM AWAY last Saturday morning.

The gelding clocked 1:06.4 for five and a half furlongs as BLAST THEM AWAY posted 1:06.0. However, the five-furlong split was 59.3 for BLAST THEM AWAY and 1:00.0 for INSANE BOLT, approximately two lengths behind the big foreigner.

BOY WONDER, meanwhile, destroyed POTCHEEN last Sunday morning, posting 1:06.0 to his stablemate's 1:06.3 for five and a half furlongs.

With such sparkling exercise form, INSANE BOLT and BOY WONDER should keep PRINCESS POPSTAR honest from the word go. However, she has everything in her favour tomorrow, which won't necessarily be the case when the trio meets again.

A $1m bonus is at stake for the horse to sweep the series but the distance is increased by a furlong with each race - the 1400-metre Pick-3 Super Challenge in November and the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes at a mile on December 26, Boxing Day.

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