KINGSTON, Jamaica - Great Britt came home in blinding rain to present the breeder, owner, and trainer Carl Anderson with his first lien on the Jamaica Jockey’s Guild Trophy at Caymanas Park on Saturday, July 23, 2022.
Posted as the final event on the 11-race card, Great Britt, ridden by jockey Shane Ellis, going overweight, won in style over seven furlongs (1,400m).
Saddled by assistant trainer Alphonso Harris in the absence of trainer Anderson, the four-year-old roan filly by Traditional out of Crucial Cat by Crucial Trial was posting her first win for the season at odds of 3/1. It was also her second victory overall from 23 starts. She won the event by 4 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:30.0 seconds, supported on split fractions of 24.4, 49.0, and 1:15.3 seconds.
Hijo Primero, a bay colt by Casual Trick, also seeking his second win at odds of 23/1, was second by the post guided by jockey Javaniel Patterson. Charmin Beauty (Abigail Able) occupied third place.
“Today’s victory was an expected one. It was a fusing of minds between trainer Anderson and myself, with Great Britt enjoying the underfoot conditions immensely.
“It was a victory that was long overdue and was thoroughly welcomed by the stable as we came close, about two races, before winning a race.
”A jockey’s error, however, caused his Great Britt to end up into traffic in one of those close races.
“In an effort not to incur a similar occurrence, we called on the services of jockey Ellis who worked the horse during her preparation and then suggested a few ideas on what was possible to do to get the horse into the right frame of mind to match her exercise gallops in her races.
“He rode her over the five-straight course and suggested that the horse does not want the five straight but wants the blinkers, so we put them on while going over a distance that she enjoys and it worked,” assistant trainer Harris said while in the winners’ enclosure.
