KINGSTON, Jamaica - FORMER champion jockey Dick Cardenas returned in double form from what is reported to be a short assignment overseas. A 14-length winner of the opening event, Helicopter is bred, owned and trained by veteran Gordon Lewis who has two legitimate excuses for defeat in the previous appearance.
Firstly, the colt got off to an untidy start, and secondly, interference from a rival 1000 metres out resulted in a length-and-half defeat to Sheboom a week earlier. The style and manner of this maiden victory suggests Storm Craft could follow-up soon.
Owned by jockey-turned-trainer Fernando Geddes and ridden by Dane Nelson, Lightning McQueen did the veteran conditioner a good turn to beat a hugely competitive Formal Gladiator (Paul Francis) in the day’s second. Nelson is now beginning to roll after a self-imposed hiatus and had a quick return to the winners’ enclosure for his fifth in January when the Gary Subratie-trained Sentient lasted by three parts of a length ahead of stablemate Crimson (Christopher Mamdeen).
Leading 2020 reinsman Anthony Thomas (84 wins) will be champion, even pending an appeal against an award of a race either way, leaving the sole titlist undecided following the disqualification of a Nelson mount reducing his tally to 83. Thomas demonstrated why he is champion for the second time in four seasons, singly or jointly, when he won the third aboard Storm Princess. The burly seven-year-old grey mare ran in a four-cornered struggle for the lead throughout, and got home by a neck. She was ridden with the immense skills of the young two-time champion Thomas for an obviously grateful Fernando Geddes to also register a second win on the card.
Trainer Johnny Wilmot opened his 2021 account in the fifth when Locomotive (Paul Francis) went clear from early and ran well inside the last 100 metres to score by just over one length. In the sixth it was the turn of Cardenas to confirm his aforementioned double. Second generation trainer Michael Marlowe, for his first win of the season, ensured his four-year-old filly It Is Now had her final appearance as a maiden. The chestnut daughter of Legal Process, bred by Laurence Heffes, went clear in the upper stretch and won by over four lengths at odds of 18/1.
Conditioner Gresford Smith also opened his 2021 tally when Bloodsweatandtears (Samantha Fletcher) overtook battling leaders Raw Liquid (Roger Hewitt) and Blind Faith (Dane Dawkins) close to home to give New Blue Ltd the success of a straight double closing in the seventh.
Champion apprentice Oshane Nugent’s good early season form continued when Regal And Royal found racing space on the far rails to give trainer Gary Griffiths his second winner of the month in race eight. Favourite, Milkman, won the ninth and final event with former two-time champion Shane Ellis riding for trainer Dennis Pryce.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Fernando Geddes for his conditioning of Lightning McQueen, a six-year-old horse starting for only the eleventh time in six seasons. The Best Winning Gallop recognition goes to the Geddes-trained Storm Princess, and Thomas gets yet another Jockeyship Award for his superb display of mastery of the tenets of great race-riding.
