KINGSTON, Jamaica – Two horses Princess Annie and Princess Ava provided a royal ending to the 2019 three-year-old -10-furlong fillies only Jamaica Oaks sponsored by Rum Fire on Saturday last at Caymanas Park.
In the end, the Wayne DaCosta trained Princess Annie got home by 3 ½ lengths over Princess Ava with howling favourite, I Am Di One third.
It was a glorious comeback for Princess Annie who suffered what turned out to be a niggling back injury as a two-year-old.
“Well, we had many sleepless hours trying to get this filly (Princess Annie) in good order. It took time but she has now mended satisfactorily as shown by her win in the Oaks,” trainer DaCosta told Quickgallop.com.
The win by Princess Annie provided DaCosta with his sixth triumph in the Oaks after wins by Thornbird (1984), Good Prospect (1999), Swing By (2006), Exotic Gold (2012) and A Thousand Stars (2016).
For owner Carlton Watson it was his first Classic race winner.
The man who was probably most overjoyed by the Princess Annie win was jockey, Phillip Parchment. Parchment has been plying his trade in the saddle for quite a while and has never been more than ordinary.
In recent times he has forged a partnership with DaCosta with a lot of hard work being put in by Parchment exercising the trainer’s horses in the mornings.
Now after years of commitment, years of struggle and years of waiting, Phillip Parchment can beam with pride and boast that he has ridden a Classic race winner. Parchment has been brave and he has never yielded, he is always trying.
While the royal pair of Princess Annie and Princess Ava finished first and second respectively in the Oaks, another set of princesses, Princess Statistic and Princess Brianna fought out a close contest in the Oaks Day sixth race.
Princess Statistic with the young and upcoming apprentice Raddesh Roman aboard and Princess Brianna with Oneil Mullings doing the riding honours locked horns in the straight with Roman getting the better by a head.
This was after Roman on Princess Statistic was passed by Mullings on Princess Brianna. Roman with his never say die attitude rallied his mount to gain the victory. A splendid ride by the young man.
