KINGSTON, Jamaica - Twelve-year-old gelding War Hero (Jerome Innis) benefited from the strong early pace which resulted in the front-runners tiring and leaving room on the far rails. This strong pace gave owner/trainer Wilfred Chin the enjoyment of a rare visit to the winners’ enclosure in the day’s opening event.
Apprentice Reyan Lewis, who has now established himself in the Caymanas jockeys’ colony, had the first of a double when Rundazzle confirmed her recent form with a victory by over three lengths for breeder/owner/trainer Carl Anderson in the second.
Lewis had a far more important task in the fourth and accomplished it easily with Anthony Nunes’ Classic hopeful Sencity. The filly advertised her stamina and touch of class (1:40.3 for 1600 metres) with a six-and-a-half length margin of victory.
With 42 apprentices graduating from the Racing Commission’s riding school, for many, opportunities for competitive mounts are at a premium.
Romario Spencer was always clear on trainer Donovan Plummer’s Vampire Rejection in the day’s third, to build confidence in those wishing to engage his services in the future.
In the closest finish of the day, the fifth was won by Rowan Mathie’s Dezzy The Genius, ridden by former two-time champion Dane Nelson. Breaking well and galloping with the leaders early, Nelson reined in Dezzy The Genius, thus keeping the gelding five lengths off the pace of a four-horse war for the lead 800 metres out. sent
The well-timed challenge of Dezzy The Genius was delivered close to home to relegate the battling leaders, Contractor (Aaron Chatrie) and Azaria (Oshane Nugent), to minor places in that order, beaten three parts-of-a-length and a short head, respectively.
Former six-time champion Omar Walker, who has emerged as the most successful reinsman in races over the straight course, provided proof once again in driving Ian Parsard’s eight-year-old gelding to victory by a half a length in the afternoon’s sixth.
The convincing display of the recent exercise gallops of Rack Away, trained by Fitznahum Williams, was enough to give the lightly raced five-year-old horse favouritism. With a confident performance from apprentice Kiaman McGregor, Rack Away landed the odds by just over a length for his second win in 11 starts.
Gary Subratie, a perennial top-three trainer, had his first of three wins when he saddled Cleopatra’s Child (Dane Dawkins) — for defeat was out of the question in the eighth. The USA-bred four-year-old chestnut filly was disqualified after passing the post in front in her previous race. On that occasion, Dawkins’ weight and tack fell more than half a kilogramme short of the requirement for weighing in at the declared weight, as dictated in the Racing Rules.
Half an hour later, Subratie was back in the winners’ enclosure when Bold Aflair (Anthony Thomas) sprinted four lengths clear to win the ninth in a manner which suggests he will demonstrate that going forward, he could display progressive form.
The Subratie triple-threat was delayed by the thoroughly game-genuine and consistent Boris McIntosh-trained Dee Danger (Shamaree Muir) blinding 11 rivals, including Subratie’s Casual Drink, with speed to be always clear, eventually winning convincingly by two lengths.
Having finished second in the 2019 Governor’s Cup, the Derby, third in the Superstakes, and fourth in the Diamond Mile, the entry conditions – including optional claiming — of the 11th and the closing event made Sentient (Christopher Mamdeen) a “racing certainty”.
This was duly confirmed with a victory, by nearly three lengths easing down, for Subratie’s inevitable third 15 per cent commission of the winning purse entitlement for the day.
