Spencer boards Supremasi with a point to prove

MATURE CLAIMING rider, Romario Spencer, whose showboating antics aboard 16-1 shocker MATUSO recently had the outsider’s backers digging in heels as favourite OIL MACHINE soared forward, has Raddesh Roman to thank for what should be a winning ride astride Anthony Nunes’ SUPREMASI in Saturday’s O & S Tack Room Trophy at a mile.

Spencer, a seven-pound claimer, granted a bye by the Jamaica Racing Commission to retain his bug – having not won a certain number of races after its expiration – has been summoned to partner SUPREMASI, a recently disqualified overnight-allowance winner.

Roman was aboard SUPREMASI when the four-year-old’s number was taken down for causing a near pile-up down the backstretch on July 26, trying to size up with PRINCE AMAAN in a bid for the rail.

Caught between SUPREMASI and United States-bred FLORINDIA, who he won aboard on July 12, beating local-breds, non-winners of four races, Roman handed Arnold Rambally Jr his first-choice retainer, giving Spencer a shot at proving him wrong.

However, Nunes using Spencer is nothing new, having called on him as a nine-pound claimer back in 2021 to partner his top handicapper, Toona Ciliata, who was allotted 130lb in the Eileen Cliggott Memorial, which he won in a dogged display to beat GOD OF LOVE.

SUPREMASI, caught by imported GIRVANO at seven furlongs on June 29, will carry 117lb, getting four pounds from FLORINDIA and nine pounds from back-to-form SUPER ALEX.

The form-factor is GIRVANO, who beat SUPER ALEX by three lengths on August 6 and returned to beat stablemate and Mouttet Mile winner FUNCAANDUN in last Saturday’s Distinctly Irish, closing from off the pace as a flyweight with 101lb.

Allowing SUPREMASI seven pounds on June 29, GIRVANO had to be ridden to the board to beat the local-bred by a short head at seven furlongs.

FLORINDIA, who lost a five-furlong round sprint to fellow importee, SUPERNATURAL POWER, after beating native ZULU WARRIOR at six furlongs, will allow SUPREMASI four pounds. Having not gone beyond six furlongs in three starts locally, FLORINDIA will find the closing stages taxing with the likes of ANTARCTICA for company on the lead.

SUPREMASI’s biggest threat should be Philip Feanny’s imported MAGNIFICENT FORCE, who, though finishing seventh behind GIRVANO and SUPER ALEX at seven and a half furlongs on August 6, was reporting off a two-month break, but had progressed well in the stretch run to be a length and a quarter off the lead a furlong out before weakening.