KINGSTON, Jamaica - Reigning champion reinsman Dane Dawkins rode three winners, including Perfect Brew in the featured 18th renewal of the 1,100-metre Betting, Gaming & Lotteries Trophy (Grade II) on the nine-race programme run as the seventh.
The starting price of 6-1 against Perfect Brew was satisfying for his backers who supported the Richard Azan-conditioned four-year colt over a distance significantly short of its best.
The first of the Dawkins triple success was delivered by Robert Pearson’s improving three-year colt Rejected Raja (9-1) in race three contested over the straight 1,000-metre course. From well off the pace, Dawkins induced a late rush at the finish from the Michael Marlowe-trained maiden Blue Persuasion (utero) to score at odds of 4-1 over the 1,300 metres of race five.
Leading rider Reyan Lewis was a no-show for seven mounts on the day and remains on 63 winners with Dawkins on 47 and Tevin Foster on 46. These three title contenders should benefit more from the absence of former three-time champion Anthony Thomas, who has transferred his tack to Gulfstream Park, in Hollywood, Florida.
Long-serving Rudolph “Yellow” Paige, a very personable man but whose exploits as a rider has not lived up to the early promise enjoyed a particular piece of good fortune. He opened his account on the disqualification of his chief rival “first by the post” Schlesinger backed at 9-5 and ridden by four-kilo claiming Michael Porter.
Ironically, there was double success for Porter on his first day in the saddle in 2019 but like Paige, his promise is yet to convince the jockeys’ agents and trainers as they have not used his services with any frequency.
For a claim of intimidation and interference inside the last 200 metres of the opening 800-metre event, Paige felt the need to add an objection to an inquiry by the Stewards who ruled in his favour. His mount, free-scoring Contractor (3-5), winner now of six of its last seven races and saddled by Ryan Williams, was defeated on merit by Schlesinger. However, the infraction, although relatively little more than a minor setback, resulted in Contractor getting into the path of Crushing Power, the fourth horse to finish. Therefore, Schlesinger, nearly three lengths ahead at the line, had to trade places with that fourth-placed rival.
Four fillies made their first career appearance in race two. Two-kilo claimer Abigail Able enjoyed her second winning mount from 38 rides this season. The winner Banadura (3-5), owned by Milad Azan and schooled by current leader and champion Jason DaCosta, outsprinted her rivals by nearly seven lengths.
In race four at 1,600 metres, Babylike (2-5), ridden by Oneil Mullings for former 14-time champion trainer, led and never looked likely to be overtaken.
Shamaree Muir, who had ridden successfully in Canada for many seasons, won on his 19th mount this year on Six Avenue with the 23-1 bet six-year-old gelding sprinting clear over the final 400 of the 1,400 metres of race six for trainer Rohan Mathie. Gary Subratie saddled Stein (6-1) to win race eight run at 1,200 metres for maidens under a good ride from four-kilo claiming rider Richard Henry.
In the ninth and closing event, with the absence of Reyan Lewis, Phillip Parchment made full use of the opportunity to chalk up his 11th win of the season riding Den Street (6-1) for trainer Carlton Cunningham to beat 13 rivals over the 1,400 metres.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Richard Azan for the performance of Perfect Brew to deliver the Best Winning Gallop over a trip short of his best. Richard Henry gets his first Jockeyship Award for an outstanding effort. His mount Stein was well outrun in the early but mended purposefully on the far rails. Deploying a timely left-handed whip and skillful use of the reins he manoeuvred from behind the battling three front runners to the outside 70 metres out to score by a neck.
