The featured event on the ten-race programme was intended to be staged as the closer and a recognition of International Women s’ Day.
Due to the unusual circumstance of a global failure of totalizator systems the 1600-metre trophy event was forced into abandonment. The dividends of race nine became unavailable rendering the promoter unable to clear the sales for wagering to continue.
One hopes this failure was not an act of a hacking sabotage compromising the capability of the digital platform of United Tote the principal supplier of this service.
Opening the card was a $750-500,000 Optional Claiming gallop over 1400 metres. Presented sharply by conditioner Ryan Darby, Dodge This Link (9-5) was in an early dispute for the lead with fainthearted 14-1 shot Simba The Lion.
Clear in the upper stretch, Dodge This link idled inside the final 150 metres but Raddesh Roman kept the seven-year-old gelding’s momentum for him last home by a head and thwarted the late sprint of far rail 41-1 runner-up outsider Exotic Light.
Dane Dawkins, the 2022 champion reinsman, was in heady riding form in race two. Breaking quickly from post position one with Richard Azan’s Matuso (8-1) was a key part of the tactic.
Pitted against five fillies and enjoying a favourable weight allotment, the colt was reined in to race third to the top of the 400-metre straight.
Two rivals, including 1-5 wagered Comehometome, had set a strong pace and 250 metres out Dawkins elected to exploit a narrow opening on the far rails and from thereon outbattled the favourite to score by half a length over the 1000-metre round course.
Infrequently engaged, Oniel Scott, given only his second mount of the season, sent 2-1 bet five-year-old chestnut horse One Like It to the early lead. Scott rated him well to last the trip by two and a half lengths over the 1200-metre gallop of race three. This afforded veteran part-time conditioner Louis Richards a rare visit to the winners’ enclosure.
Conditioned by Leroy Tomlinson a former assistant of late legend Kenneth Mattis, United States-bred She’s A Godgift showed progressive form in a follow-up to her auspicious debut victory over 1000 metres clocking 59.0 seconds over the course straight five weeks ago.
Always in control with leading reinsman Tevin Foster keeping her on the bridle for 800 of the 1100 metres of race four, She’s A Godgift (USA) sprinted to an easy six-length triumph, which must be bad news for her immediate future rivals.
Consistent little mare Princess Sylvia, in the frame eight of her last ten races, had her consistency rewarded in race five over 1000 metres straight.
Ridden by Paul Francis for trainer for another veteran conditioner Donovan Phillips, the five-year-old progeny of Soul Warrior was always in control of the pace and had two lengths to spare over her closest pursuer at the finish.
The second-season Futurity programme is taking shape as champion Jason DaCosta revealed another well-schooled potentially competitive contender for the substantial bounties slated to be on offer.
This, in a 1000-metre straight race six restricted to maidens. Only off the bridle briefly, well conformed debutant Fearless Attack (Robert Halledeen) cantered home with a 14-length advantage.
The final time of 1:02.1 supported by 23.3 x 47.3 returned by Fearless Attack left, those failing to recognize the wind direction and strength as well as the much improved underfoot conditions of the track, unimpressed.
Over the last year at least, the maintenance of the racing surface has improved significantly as evidenced by the fact mediocre horses are no longer able to post world class times.
In race seven, Barrington Bernard’s Zayn’s Princess (3-1) with Roger Hewitt at the reins ended the frustrating sequence of three second place finishes to score by just over a length when arrival at the winning post brought an end to the gallop of 1000 metres straight.
It was 16-1 against Steven Todd’s on-length winner Ertugrul, who was driven by Phillip Parchment over the 1100 metres of race eight for the upset.
In the ninth Box Box (USA), trained by Owen Sharpe and ridden by Jerome Innis, dictated the pace to win the 1400-metre race nine comfortably to return 3-1 for backers.
