Abigail Able notches second winner for the season
Abigail Able continued to make sure that the presence of the female riders at the Park does not ’t go unnoticed when she won aboard Top Eagle for trainer Welsh Soutar in the opening event.
Venturing over 6 ½ furlongs (1,300m), Able positioned Top Eagle well down the backstretch before challenging Treasure Train (Nicholas Hibbert) for the lead entering the drive.
Top Eagle then found extra and edged away to win the four-year-old upward claiming ($250,000-$200,000) event by 1 ¼ lengths.
Treasure Train held her gallop well for second place, 2 ½ lengths ahead of War Hero (Aaron Chatrie) in third place. The final time for the event was recorded at 1:24.3 after splits 23.4 x 48.2 x 1:16.0.
It was the second winner for the season for Able from three mounts and the first not trained by Wayne DaCosta. Top Eagle was Able’s fifth career success.
Sweet Renisha gets first win
Four-year-old bay filly Sweet Renisha, after nine starts with only one second-placed finish, got the bankroll spinning with a come-from-behind triumph in a maiden special weight event over one mile (1,600m).
Being a slow starter, Sweet Renisha broke behind the pace setters and was held in fourth place by Hakeem Pottinger as My Smokey (Reyan Lewis) led ahead of Qurandero (Dennis Brown) and Another Cookie (Youville Pinnock).
As the runners sorted themselves out down the backstretch, Another Cookie took over on the front end and began to increase the tempo ahead of My Smokey and Sheboom (Robert Halledeen) with Sweet Renisha still with the group at the back of the field.
Sweet Renisha began to move at the half-mile (800m) turn and soon was up on the shoulders of new leader Sheboom in deep stretch.
Inside the final stages of the race, Sweet Renisha responded well from the urgings of Pottinger and the Richard Todd trainee edged away, to win by two lengths in a time of 1:43.2. Sheboom was second and Another Cookie came home in third place.
Cold Pursuit in the nick of time
When all seemed lost inside the final furlong, jockey Reyan Lewis got Cold Pursuit to change through several gears and the dark bay gelding got up in the nick of time to nip Salvation on the wire in the Howard Phillipps Memorial Trophy feature.
Basilicus (Paul Francis) and Salvation (Javaniel Patterson - chance ride) disputed the lead navigating the half-mile turn with Cold Pursuit racing way behind the leaders.
Salvation hit the front and began to draw away from the field and looked the likely winner at the furlong pole but the Ryan Darby-conditioned Cold Pursuit came charging late and got up in the final stride for the win, by a short head in front of Salvation.
Generational, the mount of Oshane Nugent, also came with a strong run towards the end of the race to get third place in the Restricted Allowance event. The final time for the distance covered of 5 ½ furlongs (1,100m) was a 1:06.4.
Formal Gladiator makes it three wins in a row
Formal Gladiator, trained by Anthony Nunes and ridden by Oshane Nugent, completed a hat-trick of wins after conquering a three-year-old and upwards claiming ($550,000-$500,000) event at 5 ½ furlongs.
It was an even break for most of the runners in the small field of seven. Formal Gladiator dashed to the front of the pack after a couple of strides, chased by Polly B (Jordan Barrett) and Cartel (Reyan Lewis).
In deep stretch, Cartel tried to mount a challenge but Nugent got his mount to change lead and pulled away for a ¾-length win.
Cartel finished second and Polly B third in a final time of 1:07.4.
Nine horses claimed
Nine horses were claimed on the 10-race programme.
In the first race, Wilfred Chin claimed Treasure Train for owner We’re Family from Marlon Anderson, Donovan Plummer claimed winner Top Eagle for owner Lee Clarke from Welsh Soutar and Chin also claimed Big Black Nation for owner Anthony Chin from Tyrone Prince. All horses in the first event were claimed at a tag of $250,000 each.
Gregory Forsyth claimed Awesome Aviator for owner Charles Walsh from Ryan Darby, Joseph Thomas claimed Band of Gold for owner Big Dee Racing Stable from Lorne Kirlew, Ryan Williams claimed Big Paul for owner Ricardo Brown from Wilfred Chin and Rennex Burrell claimed winner Diosa De Oro for owner Laura McLaren from Gregory Forsyth in the sixth race. All horses were claimed for $350,000 each.
In the seventh event, Alden Francis claimed Pleasant Secret for himself for $550,000 from Michael Hall, while Gordon Lewis claimed Formal Gladiator for owner Rohan Daley, also for $550,000 from Anthony Nunes.
