A Weekend Of Spills and Disqualifications - The Race Day Examination

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Interference with the horse and intimidation of the rider of 91-1 shot Hunter’s Ridge (Oshadane Robinson) ended in the disqualification of 7-2 Schlesinger (Roger Hewitt) in the 4-furlong opening event; a race restricted to horses five-year-olds and upwards valued at no higher than a claim of $180,000.

With the race awarded subsequently to Freedom For Eds (69-1), this left the form players having to find new funds for further wagers. The fortunate upset winner was saddled by Lance Richards and ridden by three-kilogramme claimer Richard Henry.

Well-schooled by two-time leading conditioner Jason DaCosta, first of two wins, three-year-old debutant Chocomo made his expected successful run, although inauspicious, to beat his nearest rival by nearly three lengths over the 1200 metres of race two.  The colt was piloted by Robert Halledeen who also had two winners in tandem with DaCosta.

In race three, run at 1000 metres round for maiden three-year-old fillies, Midnight Flight (Phillip Parchment) favourite at 6-5 impressed when sprinting home by over six lengths to please trainer Donovan Plummer on her first appearance.

In race four, Division II of race three, DaCosta had his stable double delayed when Dancing Aviator (Miss Abigail Able) was relegated to fifth after passing the post nearly five lengths in front. The beneficiary was Anthony Nunes’ Battle Angel (14-1) to commence a four-timer for early title-chasing reinsman Raddesh Roman moving him to 25 at the end of the day.

This was six behind leading Tevin Foster, whose sole success came in partnering 1-1 favourite JamaJames, saddled by Errol Subratie, to victory in the 1100-metre race five.

Race six, was won by KP Choice for owner/trainer Ricardo Brown to confirm the second win for Roman. Up against infinitely inferior rivals, the in-form recent winner at the Overnight Allowance level scored by nearly 14 lengths.

For Roman’s third, the winning margin was 18 ½ lengths aboard Ryan Darby’s, dropped in class Dodge This Link over the 1400 metres of race seven.

These frequent and freakishly huge winning advantages confirm the need for the classification of horses which is a system completely compatible with claiming.

Ridden by Jerome Innis and bet at odds of 29-1, Captain Phillip, declared by trainer Gary Griffiths, won the one-mile race eight in a driving finish to prevail by a head over 4-5 favourite MPRS Links (Paul Francis).

Trained by Gary Subratie, smart Desert Of Malibu (USA), gifted the 6 ½ furlong  Saint Cecelia Cup, run as race nine, duly confirmed Roman’s four-timer with an easy three-length victory from in front at odds of 1-9.

Featured on the programme of 10 races was another renewal of the Hot Line Stakes confined to three-year-old maidens and fillies with one race won. It was 2-1 against Banadura, who battled 5-1 bet Cryptogirl (Omar Walker) for 1100 of the 1200 metres before prevailing by three lengths. The filly’s victory confirmed the stable’s second success on the card for the DaCosta/Halledeen trainer/jockey combination.

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