KINGSTON, Jamaica - IN for a tag of $450,000 down from $1 million, Summer Sun, a former Overnight Allowance campaigner, was made the even money favourite and duly obliged by eight lengths for those who had the confidence to back him in the day’s 1500-metre opening event. Ridden by Phillip Parchment, the imported five-year-old chestnut horse suffered interference leaving the gate and had a hesitant start but gave an easy victory to trainer Johnny Wilmot for his 18th success from 65 starts this season.
Similarly bet, Inspired Miracle at even money favourite was in front by three lengths at the end of the 1500-metre second event. Robert Halledeen, who rode the five-year-old gelding in four of its last five races, had his second success on this mount and made this occasion the first of two wins on the day for the enigmatic rider. Conditioner Patrick Lynch saddled the first three to finish in this race and was to enjoy further success on the card.
Markofaprince, the 2/5 favourite saddled by champion and current leader Anthony Nunes for the 800-metre straight third event, predictably won his 13th race from 54 career starts. This was the fifth victory in his last 10 races and set off a four-timer for joint champion and leading reinsman Anthony Thomas.
The Thomas blitz was fifty per cent settled half an hour later with Miss Kibbiesha Little saddling Corazon Sin Miedo to justify 2/5 favouritism by 3 1/2 lengths in the fourth over 1000 metres straight.
The 2019 champion jockey Christopher Mamdeen was very happy to pilot trainer Patrick Lynch’s Contractor to close the stable double with victory in the fifth event over the 1000-metre straight course at odds of 6/1.
Thomas resumed his riding storm with a front-running victory in the day’s sixth over 1200 metres, with 11/1 shot Elitist his third win for the day. Thomas and Jason DaCosta, the most productive jockey-trainer combination operational for 2021, was in the winners’ enclosure again.
Among the 80 horses declared on the nine-race programme was the four-time undefeated, Jason DaCosta-trained four-year-old Make Up Artist (Anthony Thomas). This filly had clocked fast times with wide margin victories over shorter distances, but in the Overnight Allowance 1500-metre seventh event she faced her most challenging examination.
Led by US-bred five-year-old Legality (Dane Nelson) to the top of the home stretch, Make Up Artist dropped away tamely and Robert Halledeen had his second win on the card. Sentient, the Gary Subratie-conditioned five-year-old, used his class to outstay his opposition by 4 1/2 lengths at odds of 9/5. For Halledeen, who had ridden Sentient in its two previous races, it was third-time destiny.
The eighth event was another renewal of the Open Allowance Blumenthal Trophy and Thomas confirmed his four-timer by driving the Richard Azan-trained, US-bred Eroy to victory by 1 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:19.1 for the 1300-metre gallop.
Press Conference, a maiden bred, owned, and trained by Carl Anderson, was ridden to victory by Andre Powell in the 1100-metre nightcap at 4/5 to be fourth winning favourite on the card.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Patrick Lynch for the return to form of Contractor, a horse whose last victory was over 18 months ago but who was able to deliver the Best Winning Gallop convincingly. Anthony Thomas deserves yet another Jockeyship Award for guiding Elitist to a three-part length victory in the hugely competitive sixth event.
