KINGSTON, Jamaica - Groom Christo Anthony after having the brilliant She’s A Maneater in his care for a short while has worked diligently over many hours to keep the five-year-old bay mare in tip-top shape.
The 26-year-old Anthony got the responsibility of grooming She’s A Maneater in mid-year and under his care, the mare won the None Such Sprint over six furlongs (1,200m), a Graded Stakes event over seven and a half furlongs (1,500m) and the Gold Cup over seven furlongs (1,400m).
Anthony and She’s A Maneater then won the Superstakes, which the mare was winning for a third-consecutive year to become the second horse and the first female horse to do so, joining Mark My Word, who achieved the feat in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Menudo holds the record of winning the Superstakes for four-consecutive years in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Last Saturday, She’s A Maneater reaped the ultimate by winning the Diamond Mile for the second time. The Natural Selection — Ahwhofah offspring won by five lengths in a new Stakes record time of 1:35.1.
“Four months ago, I got She’s A Maneater to look after. The first race she ran for me as the groom was the None Such Sprint over six furlongs and she won well. She then won the Gold Cup, which was my biggest win at the time and from the Gold Cup, the Superstakes, then my biggest race.
“Now She’s A Maneater has taken the Diamond Mile and to tell the truth I have never been happier in my life. I feel more like a man now in myself and I just want to work harder. I feel great and certain people that I am around now look up to me, as they see the passion I have for my work, which I take very seriously.
“When I just got She’s A Maneater, many people down here (Caymanas Park) told me that I am not going to win any races with her. They said if I don’t know what I am doing, I am not going to win any races with her for the rest of the year and see it here, I have won five out of five with her,” the Waterford High School graduate shared.
He quickly added: “None of my achievements so far would be possible without the trainer, Wayne DaCosta. Big up to Mr DaCosta for giving me She’s A Maneater and for his support.”
Preparations for big races have always been a rough and hard task but Anthony repeated many times that he loves what he does and so going the extra mile is not a problem.
“From I got her, she was ok but she was not eating well because she had a cut in her mouth that was affecting her a lot. “Eventually we had to change the bit that she was working in because that was what gave her the cut, and that worked.
“From then She’s A Maneater has been healthy. In the mornings, the trainer had an apprentice rider on her but right now only Omar Walker alone can exercise her.
“Coming down to like the Superstakes, I have to put down even more serious work. If I iced her like two times a week, I started to ice her like four times plus I see to it that she always has sawdust in her stall so that she can get a good lay down. I try very hard to see that she always stays healthy,” Anthony offered.
Anthony said that he spends most of his time with She’s A Maneater because of the amount of love he has received from the mare.
“Even when I win races with her and I take her to the testing barn for the urine sample, she doesn’t want me to leave her and that shows me that she loves me but dedication is the key as having this type of horse, you have to dedicate yourself to being around her. I stay around her even more than I spend at my home,” Anthony revealed.
