Former top class campaigner God Of Love (2-1), now eight years old and in a line-up with $1 million claimers, duly made all the running to secure the opening event over 1000 metres on the round course.
Saddled by Rohan Mathie and ridden by Robert Halledeen, for the opener of his riding double, the bay gelding held on to score by a diminishing three parts of a length and was claimed by Fitzgerald Richards.
To complete his riding double, Halledeen was back in the winners’ enclosure in the 1100-metre ninth and final.
US-bred maiden Motivate Me Baby (2-5) continued the good form of many of the importees this season. Clearly this three-year-old chestnut filly has plenty of scope. She sprinted well to secure a near five length advantage in a time of 1:07.1. Champion and leading conditioner Jason DaCosta seemingly has a lot to work with here.
In the absence of veteran reinsman Paul Francis, who was injured 24 hours earlier when one of his mounts fell, Oshane Nugent guided Phillip Lee’s Anonymous (8-5) to a near six-length defeat of 1-5 favourite Tekapunt in the 1400-metre second event.
As fate would have it, Francis would have ridden a double as race three, run at 1300 metres, was won by Cave Man (9-5) for whom he was the declared rider.
Another veteran, Oniel Mullings, got the benefit and kept Cave Man, a five-year-old bay gelding conditioned by Delroy Wisdom, in front from “gate to wire” to score by just over two lengths.
Such are the vagaries of the earning potential of the professionals, especially jockeys. Hence our last five champions (Shane Ellis, Dane Nelson, Anthony Thomas, Christopher Mamdeen, Dane Dawkins) are between Canada and the United States trying to maximise their ability to earn a living in an activity with limited longevity.
Trained by Gary Griffiths, Blinkin Light (4-5), the first of a three-timer by ridden by Raddesh Roman won race four over the straight course by 12 lengths.
This emphasised the limitless capacity of the hopelessly flawed claiming and condition system to deliver short-priced favourites and wide-margin winners. Incidentally, of the 416 races promoted since January this year 216 had odds-on favourites. This demonstrates definitively the underperformance of this racing product.
In race six, run at 1,100 metres, Roman’s second came aboard near 13-length winner Babylove (4-5) conditioned by Anthony Nunes for the first of a stable double. Following up in the 1200-metre race seven, Nunes’ double and Roman’s three-timer was confirmed with maiden So Beautiful (1-9) scoring by just under 19 lengths.
Ridden by Shane Richardson at even money, Oasis Jak (USA), declared by Paul Hylton sprinted well enough to better her nearest rival by two lengths in race five over the 1,000 metres of the straight course.
In race eight, Bootylicious (1-2) ridden by champion Reyan Lewis, was over six lengths clear of her nearest rival. The consistent four-year-old filly was presented by trainer Peter-John Parsard to deliver a performance close to her best.
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