All ten races are analysed
KINGSTON, Jamaica - The traditional Ash Wednesday Trophy, a race with the status of being the first important handicap engagement for A1 class horses during the halcyon days, was run as the ninth and feature on the 10-race, 78-entry programme. In keeping with the arrested development of the racing industry, the distance is set at 1,300 metres reduced from 1,600 metres around three decades ago.
The Jason DaCosta-trained filly She’s My Destiny (Anthony Thomas) sent off as the overwhelming favourite stumbled at the start, and never looked likely to justify the odds. Dejae’s Boy (19/1), partnered by leading reinsman Dane Dawkins, travelled sharply on the bridle early and with a convincing burst of finishing speed settled the issue approaching the distance. The five-year-old gelding scored by 5 ¼ lengths in what was a rare success at this level for conditioner Oniel Markland.
The day’s opener over 900 metres was won by favourite Dahra Deborah (3/5), for trainer Anthony Smith and four-kilo claiming apprentice Shavon Townsend.
The 1,200-metre second event was won by the Patrick Lynch-schooled maiden Blue Vinyl (8/5) and was the first of two wins secured by Dawkins. Lynch was in for further success on the card as he saddled lightly raced Rum With Me in the eighth event. Christopher Mamdeen, in the absence of injured Jerome Innis Lynch, who fell from an earlier mount, did a fine job of substitution at the reins to secure his double as well.
Five-year-old Rum With Me won at odds of 3/1 over the 1,000-metre straight course for the second of Lynch’s two wins on the day. Mamdeen, the 2009 champion, whose first day in the saddle commenced on September 29, 2019, has now ridden 161 winners, including his other success on the day astride Robert Pearson’s infrequently declared filly Alexa’s Dream (6/5) in the 1,000-metre straight sixth event.
Former three-time champion Dane Nelson after an ordinary start to 2022 campaign rode the first of three on the day aboard evens favourite Uncle Vinnie in the 1,500 metres third for conditioner Dennis Pryce. Nelson and Pryce in tandem confirmed their double successes as 9/5 chance Acero, an improving four-year-old colt, always controlled the pace of 1,000-metre round fourth race gallop.
Classic aspirant Power Ranking (3/2), educated by Richard Azan, spent a long time on the bridle before dominating by over five lengths the final stages of the 1,000-metre seventh event for Nelson’s three-timer. Nelson has now taken his season tally to 13, seven behind early leader Dawkins and this is nothing for this crowd favourite, dubbed the “The Warrior Chief”, to brush aside before the Racing Year in Jamaica is much older.
Ridden by apprentice Romario Spencer for trainer Paul Hylton, Explosive Charge (4/1) had the longest neck in a desperate reach for the wire in the fifth event over the 800-metre course. While the tenth was won with an extraordinary performance from reigning champion Anthony Thomas whose mount Mr Lyndhurst (5/2), trained by Marlon Anderson, did not have the benefit of one of the rider’s feet in one stirrup for nearly a furlong but came from well off the pace to best battling rivals Chrisanli (Paul Francis) and Sly Stalloon (Dane Nelson) by over two lengths.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Anthony Smith, who also owns Dahra Deborah, for his patience with and commitment to this mare, who at six years old, was racing for only the seventh occasion. Best Winning Gallop recognition is for Dejae’s Boy who turned in a career-best effort in the Ash Wednesday Trophy. Anthony Thomas is the day’s recipient of the Jockeyship Award for his effort on Mr Lyndhurst.
