The $1.25 million eight-furlong Overnight Allowance, staged to honour the memory of trainer Errol “Big Sub” Subratie, whose son Gary is a top-flight conditioner, was the feature event on a programme of nine races.
The field of 14 included two top-class campaigners. Is That A Fact (USA) was declared by champion Jason DaCosta and Ian Parsard’s locally bred grey filly Run Julie Run. It was a predictable match race with 6-5 favourite Is That A Fact (Shaheem Gordon) bettering Run Julie Run (Dane Dawkins) by just under two lengths to close a stable double for DaCosta.
The opening event, a Maiden Special Weight for three-year-olds over five and a half furlongs, was won with the dominant performance of Canadian-bred Hi Slew Squared (3-5), saddled by Patrick Lynch. The filly returned with a win margin of just over six lengths.
The 2024 champion and 2025 designate Raddesh Roman, for the first of a four-timer on the day, had the luxury of sitting motionless astride Hi Slew Squared (CAN) until after turning for home two furlongs out before intervening to execute the minimum of effort required.
Robert Halledeen, aboard 1-5 favourite Storm, had his path narrowed considerably by a rival, resulting in a significant loss of ground five and a half furlongs out. However, the natural superiority of the 10-year-old gelding has now yielded 15 successes from 59 starts. Storm was just over one length ahead when the winning post arrived to bring the seven-furlong second event to an end for DaCosta’s first of two on the day.
Race three over five and a half furlongs provided an opportunity for juvenile Sir Don (1-9) to confirm his promise further with a romp of over 11 lengths. The Anthony Nunes schooled colt won by nearly nine lengths on his September 27 debut was partnered then by Roman and confirmed the rider’s second today card.
Ruby’s Light (41-1), although more effective at longer distances, surprisingly, with claimer Rotajmar Weir riding for trainer Gary Griffiths, was just over one length in front at the end of the five-furlong round sprint of race four. Bet at 8-5 with Shane Ellis up, Ballistic Missile bolted at the end of the first furlong.
Roman was back in the winners’ enclosure for a third time. This time aboard 1-1 favourite Goodbye Firefly (USA), a three-length winner of the five and a half furlongs gallop for veteran conditioner Spencer Chung.
Declared by Alford Brown and ridden by claimer Demar Williams, three-year-old maiden filly Fantastic Hedge (8-5) won race six over the straight course by just short of five lengths from in front.
Also making all the running was the winner of race seven, Big Buzz (5/2). Well, rated over the nine furlongs and twenty-five yards journey by claiming reinsman Eric Haughton, the unsuccessful hard-knocking Triple Crown aspirant, deservedly won for trainer Ray Phillips.
Roman secured his four-timer in race eight with Adrian Prince’s US-bred Shooting Star (3-5) scoring by ten lengths over the seven furlongs of race eight.
