KINGSTON, Jamaica - Unusually, recently licensed conditioner Carlton Cunningham has saddled five horses to finish in front but has suffered two disqualifications in his fledging career.
First by the post at odds of 5/2, Millenium Star, ridden by Paul Francis, led entering the last 200 metres and scored by just over one length but subsequently failed to survive a Steward’s Inquiry and a jockey’s objection.
One hundred metres from the finish of the opening 1,200-metre contest, Phillip Parchment had to take evasive action by tugging sharply at the reins and switching to the inside to mount a renewed challenge aboard the Edward Stanberry-trained maiden Sneaky Joe (2-1). The Stewards found there was intimidation on the part of Francis causing his mount to interfere with her rival; therefore, Millenium Star was disqualified and placed second in a switch of places with runner-up Sneaky Joe.
Tevin Foster was in triple riding form on the day with his first, Snowflakes (7-1), whom he rated brilliantly for a first run over 1,400 metres. The pacy five-year-old grey mare was saddled by Colin Ferguson.
Maiden Power From Above (3-5) schooled by Anthony Nunes was in front at the end of race six run at 1,900 metres for Foster to secure his second. For his third, Foster enjoyed an eight-length runaway over the 1,200 metres of race eight. This was the featured Knutsford Park Cup and Loyal Action (6-1) won for trainer Paul Swaby’s third career success from 10 starts in his first season thus far.
Speaking of the unusual, three newly minted members of the cohort of trainers won races three, four and five to secure their opening career successes.
The third event, contested by five starters over the 1,000-metre straight course, went to Faulyna Forever (7/2) saddled by Lennis Shim and ridden by Anthony Thomas, thus giving the former three-time champion reinsman the first of a double. Later Thomas closed the 10-race card with a narrow victory aboard The Exodus (9-2) over 1,300 metres for trainer Steven Todd.
Ridden by four-kilo claimer Richard Henry, Contractor, 3-5 favourite, beat the nearest of his three rivals by 16½ lengths over the maximum distance of the straight course for trainer Damon Gayle’s first trip to the hallowed space of the winners’ enclosure.
In race five over the same course, Ricardo Brown enjoyed success, similar to that of his two counterparts, with 8-5 favourite Magical Mood (Raddesh Roman) three lengths ahead of the field.
Trainer Errol Burke saddled Get A Pepsi (9-2) for a third-consecutive victory in its latest outing. The improving four-year-old colt was brought with a well-timed late effort to score in the final strides. Ridden by champion Dane Dawkins, who was aboard for the previous two successes, made the perfect decision that Get A Pepsi, running from post position number one should wait while positioned on the rails throughout the 1500 metres of this ninth event.
This was a day when trainer Colin Ferguson, jockey Tevin Foster and Snowflakes as well as trainer Steven Todd, Anthony Thomas and The Exodus merited serious consideration for the Awards.
However, the Training Feat Award is presented to Errol Burke for presenting Get A Pepsi in such great condition to succeed against much stronger opposition. The colt displayed the Best Winning Gallop and Dawkins cops the Jockeyship Award for the application of his skill set to execute an exacting task.
