KINGSTON, Jamaica - There has been noticeable improvement in the riding skills of the cohort of full professionals and apprentices over the last two seasons; and ever, so often, apart from still-practising former champions Omar Walker, Dane Nelson, Shane Ellis, Dick Cardenas, Christopher Mamdeen and reigning Anthony Thomas, there are others good enough to win multiple races on any given day.
Recently apprentice Youville Pinnock scored a four-timer and in this meet it was the turn of Dane Dawkins to have his best day in the saddle with four wins from seven opportunities. With this performance Dawkins has retaken the lead he surrendered to Thomas in April and has moved his season tally to 32 albeit just one ahead.
Staged as the 10th event, the most important assignment for the in-form rider was to ensure the favourite Atomica (2-5), unbeaten in three career races, returned from the $3.0-million first renewal of the Grade II Fillies Portmore feature with this invincible status intact.
Trained by Gary Subratie, Atomica a fast improving impressively conformed chestnut progeny of Nuclear Wayne, gave Dawkins little more to do than keep her teeth glued to the bridle for 1,100 metres before requesting the home stretch sprint to a twelve and a half-length margin of dominance. With 1,200 metres cantered in 1:11.1, the final time was a Stakes record 1:32.3 for the 1,500-metre run.
Earlier, the Dawkins show commenced in race four with Patrick Lynch’s High Diplomacy (2-1) outclassing his nearest rival by eight lengths over the 1,500-metre gallop. Race eight over 1,200 metres gave Dawkins the second as Ian Parsard’s maiden filly Mila’s All That was comfortably the best by over six lengths at even money for the first of the trainer’s two wins on the day. In the day’s final event, the 2021 champion sprinter Mahogany (1-5) gave Dawkins his fourth and confirmed the Parsard stable’s double success with an 11-length romp.
The opening event on the 11-race card run over 700 metres straight gave two-time champion apprentice Oshane Nugent his third win from 61 mounts this season with Patrick Fong saddling Fourthousand (3-1) for his stable’s second success of the year from 32 starts. In the 1,100-metre race two, infrequently engaged four-kilogramme claiming apprentice, Calvin Bailey won by nearly four lengths aboard Pakman (4-1) for conditioner Ian Roberts to open his 2021 account with this only his barn’s third start of the season.
Tevin Foster, who has impressed this season as well, rode the first of his two winners on the day with Dennis Pryce saddling City Counsel (2-5) to win race two over 1,100 metres. Foster, in closing his double, brought even money favourite maiden Miss HJF from being last early with a late and untidy start to the front close home for trainer Norman Smith to enjoy his first 2022 success at the end of the 1,400-metre fifth event.
Jockey Odeen Edwards made all the running to score at 7/1 in the sixth run at 1,300 metres for veteran trainer Phillip Lee’s fourth win from 35 starts this year. While in the seventh Dick Cardenas was aboard the strongest finisher in the 1,000-metre straight seventh event with Richard Azan’s 5/2 backed filly Cruella besting a competitive field by a half a length.
In the ninth, contested over 1200 metres former six-time champion Omar Walker had his first winning mount for title chasing conditioner Jason DaCosta with maiden Pretty Girl (1-2) by five lengths. Walker, with six titles in a hugely successful career dating back to July 29, 2006, moved his career to 1,200 wins. Coincidentally, this milestone was achieved as his first win for Jason whose dad, the late 18-time champion Wayne, was the main patron of the trusted reinsman.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Gary Subratie for the spectacular progress of Atomica with the filly delivering The Best Winning Gallop. Odeen Edwards gets his first Jockeyship Award for his victory with Dracarys the five-year-old gelding under pressure at the start and forcing his chief rival (Smoke Haze/Jordan Barrett) to surrender in what was virtually a match between these protagonists as many as five lengths clear of the remainder throughout.
