Second-generation trainer Gary Crawford opened his seasonal account in the day’s opener. Tiffany Blu (7-2), a five-year-old mare whose second career success came in November 2024, was ridden from off the pace by two-time champion Raddesh Roman (2024–25) to score by two and a half lengths in the six-furlong event restricted to five-year-olds and upwards.
The popular reinsman’s fan club enjoyed another moment when he partnered Richard Azan’s three-year-old maiden colt, Senor Biscotti (3-5), who scored by nearly two lengths over six and a half furlongs in the condition event.
Half an hour earlier in race two, three-time champion Jason DaCosta saddled the first to finish at the end of the seven-and-a-half furlongs of race three. Partnered by Tevin Foster, Prince Roy (9-5) prevailed by just over two lengths ahead of the Anthony Allen-ridden Star Quest (5-1), securing the opener of a DaCosta stable double.
Perennial top-ten conditioner Gary Subratie declared US-bred Thousand Treasures (9-1) in the seven-furlong race four for a tag of $1.0 million. Dane Dawkins, the 2022 titlist, guided the four-year-old imported colt to a winning margin of just under five lengths. This winner may have been a promising claim, but surprisingly, there were no takers. Instead, Here Come Doc and The Real Identity will change stables for their million-dollar tags.
Race five, a Maiden Condition run at five furlongs straight and restricted to horses four years and older, went to 8-1 shot Total Velocity, ridden by claimer Jaheim Anderson for veteran trainer Nieve Graham. This filly, a progeny of stallion Patton Proud, had been beaten by a combined total of 278 lengths in nine of her last ten starts in a 12-race career, including unseating her rider on one occasion. She arrived at Graham’s stable last November and was making her first start since.
Prince Marshall (5-1) gave second-generation trainer Ryan Darby his third success from 19 declarations this month, as apprentice Richie Shakes had to pull out all the stops for a win by just over one length in the six-furlong race six.
US-import Prodigious Power (2-5) cantered to a five-length winning margin over three rivals for former three-time champion Andrew Nunes. Long-serving jockey Ian Spence handled the reins over the six-and-a-half furlongs of the uneventful race seven.
Pack Plays (USA), conditioned into top sprinting form by Rohan Mathie, outsped 3-5 favourite Of A Revolution (Raddesh Roman) to skate home by almost three lengths in the featured six-and-a-half-furlong Eileen Cliggott Memorial Trophy (Grade 1), run as race eight. Christopher Mamdeen, the 2019 champion, utilising his above-average judgement of pace, kept the American five-year-old progeny of Stay Clear safely ahead of rivals throughout.
The secondary attraction, the Bonnie Blue Trophy, run at seven and a half furlongs, was won by Oil Machine (10-1), with former six-time champion Omar Walker executing the riding honours smartly enough for the Phillip Elliott-trained runner to finish a length and a half in front of the nearest of nine rivals at the business end of the gallop.
In the tenth and closing event, Robert Halledeen kept US-bred maiden Roman Lady (3-2) in front of twelve rivals to edge home by a neck, confirming the closing leg of the DaCosta stable double.
