Champion reinsman Reyan Lewis was in double-riding form on the nine-race programme.
In the opening event restricted to three-year-old maidens over 1,500 metres, Lewis had the Richard Azan-trained Francis (6-1) against the inner rails and disputing the lead before outpacing rivals from the 800-metre mark to score by just under five lengths.
In another 35 minutes, Lewis was back in the winner’s enclosure aboard 1-2 favourite Rusty, a near five-length winner turned out by Patrick Lynch to win the days second contested over 1100 metres by a field of five.
The 1993 error of dividing the horse population into 27 categories, now 21, to accommodate claiming continues with a pretence it is working. Available since 2011, a division of the horse population into eight categories to ensure larger average fields has been resisted by wilful ignorance.
The fact is that in the previous three decades, the cumulative growth of the industry was 300 per cent with 28 race days in 1960 increasing to 84 in 1992 yielding an average of 115 runners and between 11 and 12 races per day in a system of classification for handicapping.
Thirty years of claiming in a potentially larger market and more expansive economy has now reduced the calendar to an average of less than 100 runners and less than 10 races per day season after season.
This is the legacy of the architects of the flawed claiming system in producing a vastly inferior and unviable racing product costing the owners significantly more each year to support the horse population.
Owner/trainer Oral Hayden, for the first of two winners, posted five-year-old US-bred mare Talona (Youville Pinnock) and bet at 5/2, with the sharpness to outsprint her five rivals in race three’s 1,000-metre gallop on the round course by over five lengths.
In race four, over a similar distance, Jason DaCosta’s She’s A Mirage with Josue Osorio in the saddle led and held on by a short head at odds of 5-2 to secure the first of two wins for the stable.
Raddesh Roman, back from being side-lined from injuries sustained in a recent spill, was also in double-riding form. Sonny T And Chippy (5-1), was slowly into stride in his last two races but had no such problem in the 1,820-metre race five.
Stalking the leaders early, the Spencer Chung conditioned five-year-old progeny of Savoy Stomp led 700 metres out and outstayed six rivals by nearly two lengths.
Roman confirmed his double success aboard 9-1 bet frontrunner City Hawk declared by trainer Ricardo Brown for the 1,200-metre eighth event.
However, in race seven, Roman denied himself a three-timer in the 1200-metre Graded Stakes Lady Geeta Trophy. His best efforts in the home straight could not keep the 1-2 favourite out of the path of chief rival Mahogany which led to the disqualification to third of his mount and four-length winner Desert Of Malibu (USA). The event was awarded to 11-1 shot A Gift From Ben (Ramon Nepare) trained by FitzGerald Richards.
In race six, restricted to maidens four years and upwards over the 1,000-metre straight course, Robert Halledeen had the first of his two wins aboard Bad Investment (5-2) to actualise owner/trainer Oral Hayden’s double success.
To close dual successes in tandem, Halledeen rode Banadura, for Jason DaCosta in the 1400-metre fillies-only Thornbird Stakes run as the nightcap. Also noteworthy was the victory of Banadura in the 1200-metre Hot Line Stakes previously.
This augers well at the very least for her prospects in the fillies Classics (1000 Guineas & Oaks) this season.
