Veteran reinsman Devon A Thomas was in winning riding form on the ten-race pre-Christmas programme.
In the opening event, contested by a field of nine non-winners of four races, Bridal Blush (7-2) declared by Donovan Hutchinson, beat her nearest of eight rivals by over 10 lengths.
Thomas’ tactic of waiting for battling front runners, Rusty (1-2) and JJ Warrior (3/1) ridden by Javaniel Patterson and Omar Walker respectively, to exhaust their speed and stamina before sprinting to the lead 250 metres out.
Heavily backed at 3-5, four-year-old bay filly imported in utero Prissie, saddled by Alford Brown for the opener of a stable double with familiar rider Javaniel Patterson assisting the effort smartly.
She made all the running but had to turn back a couple of challenges to score in the 1600-metre second event by one and a half lengths.
In race three, run at 1000 metres straight, sent off at 7-2 Superio (Shane Richardson) got up in the final stride to score for breeder/owner/trainer Ian Roberts.
Based on exercise reports and bet a 4/5, juvenile debutant Sheriff In Town trained by Patrick Taylor, was expected to make a promising impact but failed to leave the gate when under starter’s order.
On the other hand, it was the Anthony Nunes schooled and Tevin Foster ridden World Surprise (6-5) who impressed in cantering home ahead by nearly 10 lengths in a time of 1:00.2 for the 1000-metre straight gallop.
In the day’s 1600-metre fifth event, it was 9-1 against Fault Line nominated by owner/trainer Nicholas Smith with 2019 champion Christopher Mamdeen the declared rider.
Strongly ridden 700 metres out Fault Line got on terms with dominant frontrunner Simba The Lion (Prince Holder) with 150 metres remaining and edged away to score one and a half lengths ahead of the late effort of even money favourite Inspired Miracle (Ruja Lahoe).
Money Market (6-1) in dominated a competitive line-up by seven lengths over the 1200 metres of race six. Trained by Robert Darby and partnered by outgoing 2022 champion Dane Dawkins, the progressive three-year-old bay colt has now won in three of his six career appearances.
At the end of race seven, restricted to three-year-old maidens and run at 1000 metres round, it was a return to the winners’ enclosure by trainer Alford Brown to meet Don Pablo after the colt’s five and a half lengths margin of victory at odds of 9-5.
Tevin Foster’s effort was the first of two wins on the card. Half an hour later in race eight the featured inaugural staging of the Chris Armond Memorial Trophy, hat-trick seeking Emperorofthecats (2-1), bred, owned and trained by Carl Anderson controlled the pace of the 1100-metre gallop to score by three lengths.
Top rated, out of class and improving three-year-old Sensational Move (Raddesh Roman) prepared by Gary Subratie dominated the last 400 of the 1200 metres ninth event to secure victory by nine lengths at odds at 2-1.
In the nightcap for maidens four-year-old and upwards, Wildfire (3-1) was good enough to beat the nearest of her seven by ten and a half lengths to confirm Foster’s double riding success.
