All nine races examined
KINGSTON, Jamaica - A milestone in a profession is an important recognition of service.
Recently jockey Tevin Foster celebrated 100 career successes and in the opening event it was the turn of veteran trainer Ralph Porter to make his 100th trip to the winners’ enclosure.
Experienced reinsman Oneil Mullings had the well turned out 5/2 shot Sly Stalloon disputing the lead before putting his field in trouble with a widening lead entering the last 200 of the 1,100-metre sprint. There must have been very concerning moments for the Porter camp when Mr Lyndhurst (Dane Dawkins) threatened with a finishing flourish which failed only by a short head to share or lift the major portion of the purse.
Seemingly reserved for the Robert Pearson schooled débutante Goliath The Great (Shane Ellis), who started at odds of 1-2. The well conformed grey controlled the pace early enough but hardly impressed as his spectacular exercise spins suggested he would have. Goliath The Great remained conservatively clear of rivals but only scored by nearly two lengths with the time of 1:02.1 leaving those who were prepared to be predictive of future significant success uncertain about being optimistic.
Trainer Paul Charlton opened his seasonal account with 9/2 chance It’s All I (Romario Spencer) sprinting to a convincing four-length triumph in the 1,000-metre round third event.
Former six-time champion Omar Walker, who is statistically the jockey who has won the most races over the 1,000-metre straight course since the retirement of Charles Hussey over two decades ago, teamed up with trainer Patrick Lynch to win the fourth with Task Force at 4/5.
In piloting Wilfred Chin’s maiden Chiney Music (6/5) in race five, Samantha Fletcher enjoyed her fourth win of the season. Starting from post position six, Miss Fletcher steered the four-year-old grey filly to the near-side rails early in the gallop and remained in front to score by three and a half lengths over the 900-metre straight course.
Little Buzz (Dane Nelson), half-sister to retired top sprinter Buzz Nightmare now at stud, was always in control of the pace over the 1,200 metres of the sixth to secure the spoils as the even-money favourite by six lengths for trainer Winchester McIntosh to win his first of the season as well.
Trainer Jason DaCosta would have been pleased that potential Classic aspirant Deezi (Anthony Thomas) has trained on from two to three years. The colt finished a decent fourth in the Jamaica Two-Year Stakes last Boxing Day and won impressively in this his seasonal appearance. Deezi (4/5) dominated the final 400 of the 1,400 metres of the seventh event with his nearest rival nearly seven lengths in arrears at the finish.
In winning the eighth and penultimate event over the 1,000-metre straight course, the Fitzgerald Richards-conditioned even-money crack sprinter Patriarch (Robert Halledeen) demonstrated that even at seven years he has retained most, if not all, of his exceptional ability to sprint which has yielded 17 wins from 38 appearances.
Lightly raced Mister Mandate (Javaniel Patterson) , 2/1-on favourite, escaped defeat by a short head in the ninth run over 1,000 metres straight for trainer Dennis Pryce’s third winner of the year.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Fitzgerald Richards for conditioning Patriarch to deliver the Best Winning Gallop in what was effectively little more than a strong canter in a time of 58.1 seconds against a fairly strong headwind to register the Best Winning Gallop. Richards also saddled runner-up God of Love. Oniel Mullings is deserving of the Jockeyship Award for positive handling of Sly Stalloon in race one.
