Talona one to watch in the future
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Seven nominations and subsequently all including top handicap-rated sprinter Father Patrick were declared for the featured renewal of the 1300-metre Eileen Cliggott Memorial Trophy.
In 1958 the long-serving English woman was invited by late breeder and owner Alex Hamilton, who operated Dawkins Stud Farm on the expansive Caymans sugar estate, to emigrate to Jamaica.
For over four decades Hamilton, a cane farmer and a former president of the Jockey Club, in partnership his wife, were the major patrons of Mrs Cliggott. The pioneering female conditioner was inducted into Jamaica’s thoroughbred racing Hall Of Fame in 1986.
Eileen Cliggott took the responsibility of being an apprentice master seriously and launched the careers of many fine jockeys. The list included champion Richard DePass, Donovan Lindo, Karl Brown and Vassell “Jollyman” Najair. Mrs Cliggott died a decade and a half ago in October 2007.
Run as the seventh on the ten-race card, the United States importee Eagle One (Anthony Thomas) saddled by Jason DaCosta proved to be too strong for Father Patrick (Oshane Nugent). The latter, although not receiving the best of starts, rushed to the lead but found the American horse at 4/1 and in receipt of 6.5 kilos just over five lengths, superior on the day.
Trained by Errol Pottinger, Rockdale, ridden by Andre Powell at odds of 7/1, won the 700-metre straight opening event to ruin the efforts of many punters planning to have a winning selection for a successful pursuit of the substantial Reggae Six jackpot.
Many more tickets were eliminated half an hour later in the 1000-metre round second when long odds-on favourite Luksol (Anthony Thomas) failed by three parts of a length to get on terms with front-running 7/1 shot Talona. The imported bay filly was well ridden by Youville Pinnock for former 13-time champion trainer Philip Feanny.
Returning from a six-week hiatus, Lawrence Freemantle’s Daytona Belle (Tevin Foster) was not for catching over the 1200 metres of the third event in landing odds of 2/1.
In the fourth, run over a 1000-metre straight course, Phillip Elliot’s Rupunzel (Dane Nelson), at odds of 6/5, got her first and well-deserved visit the winners’ enclosure. The filly competed in eight races prior and challenged some of the best of the current crop of her second season peers including Golden Wattle, Atomica and Outbidder.
Former Anthony Nunes inmate Acero (3/1), running over 1000-metre straight in the colours of Busy Racing Stable, gave trainer Dennis Pryce his second winner of the season and leading reinsman Dane Dawkins his first of four successes on the card.
At the end of the 1400-metre exertion for victory in the seventh race, Dawkins was back in the winners’ enclosure where he dismounted Pharoah It Is (5/1) for the second of the eventual four-timer to repeat a similar feat last month, and the first of three for leading conditioner Gary Subratie.
Jockey-turned-trainer Linton Calder, whose most memorable day in the saddle was winning the 1971 Gold Cup aboard a horse called Alliance, saddled 8/1 Aunt Chico (Christopher Mamdeen) to win the eighth over 1000 metres straight following which there was a resumption of the Dawkins/Subratie showcase. Starting at odds of 5/2, Olde Wharf duly secured odds of 5/2 in the 1400-metre ninth while Heavenly Glitter, 1/2 favourite, thoroughly outstayed rivals by over six lengths in the 1820-metre nightcap to bring her series of four consecutive second-place finishes to an end.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Philip Feanny for the performance of Talona, with the filly delivering the Best Winning Gallop – in reversing an arrears of ten lengths with Luksol from their previous encounter – to deliver the Best Winning Gallop. Apprentice Youville Pinnock is recognised with the Jockeyship Award for his combined skills of judgment of pace, balance, use of the whip as well as his unflappable demeanour when put under pressure in the home stretch run aboard Talona.
