It was 24/1 against Diamond Rock in the opener on the programme of nine races. Saddled by owner/trainer Courtney Williams and ridden by three-kilo claimer Carlos Blake, the five-year-old bay horse survived the late challenge of 5-2 bet General Chief (Everton Stone) to score by a shorthead over the 1300-metre trip.
Title-chasing reinsman Raddesh Roman on 104 trailing his chief rival Tevin Foster by four in the contest for the 2024 riding honours signalled the start of a productive day with Noble Impulse (1-5), declared by owner/trainer Steven Todd, winning the 1000-metre race two on the round course, by over 16 lengths.
Race three, run over 1100 metres, went to 3-1 bet Dodge This Link ridden by three-kilogramme claimer Abigail Able from in front to score by just over two lengths for trainer Orville Johnson.
Forty minutes later Roman was back in the winners’ enclosure with another wide-margin success following a romp of over 12 lengths by Gary Crawford’s maiden filly Tiffany Blu (2-5) in the day’s fourth event run at 1200 metres.
Foster’s response to Roman’s double came in race five with Anthony Nunes’ Immeasurable Joy (6-5) scoring by two and a half lengths over the 1100-metre trip.
Former champion Dick Cardenas, who returned to riding at Caymanas recently, was aboard Acknowledgeme (6-5) as the four-year-old filly won by 13 lengths over the 1000-metre straight gallop for the major slice of the purse of race six.
In race seven over 1820 metres for the featured Royal Dad Trophy, Victor Sanchez, a countryman of Cardenas made it a double for these Panamanians, as Mack And Rome was posted in unbeatable frontrunning condition by Saqlain Roman for a convincing success of over three lengths.
On his way to what would be a four-timer eventually, Roman’s third was confirmed with Bad Investment (5-1), owned and trained by Oral Hayden winning the 1600-metre race eight by nearly seven lengths.
The well populated Tevin Foster fan club was stunned as Roman made further inroads as Press Conference (6-5), saddled by Ian Roberts won the ninth and closing event run over the 1000-metre straight course.
