KINGSTON, Jamaica – The race day delivered a potpourri of happenings enough to keep all racing fans on track.
- It was good to see five straight specialist and former champion jockey Charles Hussey at the track to present the trophy named in his honour. “Bogle Man” as he is known to his legion of fans has the distinction of riding over 1000 winners in Jamaica and close to 500 in North America. As fate would have it, the Charles Hussey Trophy was won by Salvation ridden by Oneil Mullings and trained by Philip Feanny at odds of 8-1, the longest on the day. Interestingly, Hussey’s first Derby winner in 1994, Wells Fargo was trained by Feanny.
- The outstanding form of Shane ‘The Canter Man’ Ellis continues unabated. After winning his fifth St Leger with Calculus on Saturday, Ellis returned today and booted home three winners and was just short (3/4 length) of a fourth when finishing second on Trevor’s Choice behind Salvation.
- While Ellis was the obvious star of the day with his three winners, let’s also congratulate improving apprentice Youville Pinnock who had two winners.
- St Leger winning trainer for the second year in succession, Gary Subratie seems to be coming up with the winners almost every race day of late. Today, Subratie scored with foreigner Sweet N Smart. Subratie is getting more horses in his barn these days with St Leger winner Calculus coming under his guidance just about a month ago, and then today Golden Blood, racing for the first from the Subratie stables was a close second behind Khai Alexis in the eighth race.
- The performance of the day came from the Jason DaCosta trained; Anthony Thomas ridden Make Up Artist. Make Up Artist now four had a troubled three-year-old season suffering from all sorts of maladies and was taken out of training by her then handler, Jason’s father, Wayne. Returning in better nick, as a four-year-old after the respite, and with four wins from as many starts, Make Up Artist has reached the Overnight Allowance grade unscathed. Today, she took the lead from the off, was never threatened until possibly early in the straight, which was when she extended herself even more giving the distinct impression that going longer than today’s journey of 6 ½ furlongs is on the agenda. The winning time of 1:18.4 is further endorsement of this filly’s quality. Let’s watch and see.
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