KINGSTON, Jamaica - Predictably, this renewal of the 1,820-metre Royal Dad Trophy to continue the enduring memory of an outstanding thoroughbred who galloped into Triple Crown immortality as the first to achieve the feat at the Caymanas racetrack, was anticlimactic. The fact of the matter is that the conditions of weight allotment ensured a farce.
Winner Billy Whizz (1/9), piloted by Dick Cardenas for trainer Jason DaCosta, made all the running and beat chief rival Santorini (Linton Steadman) by five and a quarter lengths. When the two former 2021 unsuccessful Classic aspirants met in the Winston Griffiths Trophy on September 4, Santorini (53 kilos) prevailed over Billy Whizz (57 kilos) by a just over one length.
Bizarrely on this occasion Santorini was inevitably assigned three kilos more than Billy Whizz which bore no resemblance to the then winning margin to give both an equal opportunity to land the major share of the purse in this race. Victory by Billy Whizz was the third on the day for Cardenas and has propelled DaCosta, who trailed by less than $100 at the start of the meeting, to the top of the trainer standings.
Remarkably, DaCosta had deputised for his ailing dad Wayne, now deceased, until having his first success in his own right on April 12, 2021, and has amassed a stakes record $40.0 million in six months. In a twelve-year stint in United States, the 35-year-old second-generation conditioner has won nearly 400 races, one as recently as last week as he still maintains interest there and with 51 in so short a time here is well placed to challenge and dethrone two-time defending champion Anthony Nunes.
The day yielded seven wide margins winners commencing with a near eight-length romp by trainer Donovan Plummer’s Sir Puddington (7/2) ridden by Andre Powell in the 1,400-metre opening event. Robert Halledeen had the first of his two on the card with the Dale Murphy-conditioned Mirabilis (8/1) having more than four lengths over her nearest rival in the second event run over 1,600 metres.
First of the three for Cardenas came in the third event with trainer Patrick Lynch winning the first of a double with Ring Charmer (4/5) scoring by six lengths in the 1,300-metre third run in two Divisions and restricted to maiden three-year-old fillies.
In race four, Division II of this event, Diamond In The Sky (Christopher Mamdeen) schooled by Colin Ferguson for the trainer to savour the first of what would be two wins had only a short head margin to spare at odds of 3/1 in releasing her maiden status. Ferguson’s double was sealed by 17/1 shot Stevie The Great (Matthew Bennett) scoring a third victory from only four career starts in the competitive tenth over the 1,000-metre straight course.
Starting at odds of 4/1 and seeking his 14th success in 53 starts, eight-year-old gelding Papa Albert (Phillip Parchment) won by nine and a quarter for trainer Phillip Lee’s fifth winner of the season. Race six over 1,400 metres was won by Bala Gris (Evens) under superb front-running guidance from Cardenas for the second of three winning rides and confirmed Lynch’s double success on the card with the seven- year-old horse scoring by only a fast diminishing neck.
It was back to a wide margin of victory in the 1,000-metre straight seventh with Oshane Nugent sitting motionless aboard Miss Cookie (1/2) nearly nine lengths at the line for trainer Gary Subratie’s first of two wins. The Subratie double materialised in the ninth over 1,100 metres with Duke (2/5) sprinting clear by over seven lengths for Halledeen to enjoy double success as well.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Colin Ferguson, who had the patience to wait for Stevie the Great to reach full readiness his July 24 debut and has since saddled him to win twice when elevated to the higher categories. Stevie The Great won gamely enough for the Best Winning Gallop Award and apprentice Bennett cops the Jockeyship Award for his composure and balance in the close finish.
