by Jimmie, Star Racing Writer

SUPER-FIT six-year-old CELEBRATION TIME should complete a hat-trick of wins tomorrow afternoon when he faces nine rivals at 1100 metres including in-form WINNING MESSAGE in the first CTL Claiming Series race for 2008.

Returning quickly among $210,000 claimers after scoring a shocking upset over 1400 metres at the level on January 19, CELEBRATION TIME was most impressive in victory, posting fast splits to land the gamble up in class for trainer Albert Chong.

Claimed by Chong for $170,000 as a winner at five furlongs straight in his previous race, CELEBRATION TIME poured it on up in class, shaking loose of 6-5 favourite SPECIAL K to dismantle the field in fast splits of 35.2, 1:00.3 and 1:14.1.

WINNING MESSAGE narrowly missed completing a hat-trick when stepping up in class to face $210,000 runners the previous week, going down by three-quarter length to another in-form runner, PURE JUSTICE, who ventured to $260,000 on Saturday and won the eighth race in the stewards' room.

However, none of those races were run at the pace CELEBRATION TIME had ticked off in his event, indicating the six-year-old horse looks set to steal a march down the backstretch and will have to be caught on the straight.

Jackpots at $2.5m

TRACK STAR at 30-1 in the nightpan, took out all Super-6 and Pick-9 bets where PURE JUSTICE at 7-1 in the eighth, followed by 6-1 shot DISCO PEARL in the ninth, had failed.

The Pick-9 will have its $1m guarantee, starting at the third race whereas the Super-6 starts at the sixth event with a $1.2m carryover.

There's also a whopping $317,461 Hi-Five carryover to the eighth event, a knotty $170,000 claiming event at 1000 metres straight in which Welsh Soutar's RED I should not be underestimated despite her losing at the level on January 5.

RED I got a shocker when dropping to the level from $210,000 claiming on January 5, beaten, finishing fifth to the trio of WINNING MESSAGE, UNQUESTIONABLE and ABOUNDING GRACE.

However, RED I was far from disgraced in open $170,000 company and has now been aimed at conditional runners, effectively a drop in class for the seven-year-old mare, who will prove hard to beat.

Super-6 bettors hunting a good start in the sixth event can look to GOINGTOKANSASCITY, who, similar to RED I, has been lowered to conditional claiming company where he was only beaten by YYESSBABY on September 12.

Pick-9 players can count on the down-in-class UNLEADED for a great start in the third event at 1820 metres. The eight-year-old gelding should drop on rivals like a ton of bricks in the stretch run and outclass the field back to the wire.