KMTC Post Emancipation meet …
JAMAICAN jockey Andron Findley rode outsider Pinch De Cash with authority to an upset victory over a star-studded field in the feature event for C and Lower class horses at the Kennard Memorial Turf Club’s (KMTC) 2010 Post Emancipation horse race meeting last Sunday. Having seen a mechanical problem prevent the starting gate from operating minutes before the feature race began, the organisers were forced to revert to the ancient way of starting the race, which was the flag system, the first for Findley and many other jockeys on the day.
A false start was sounded, but Canada-based jockey Sunny Singh, who was aboard Marathon Man, did not hear the starter indicating it was a false start, and had his charge run the full length of the course (seven furlongs) at a galloping pace.
Sunny Singh later told Chronicle Sport that he did not hear the false start due to the noise being made by the hundreds of spectators gathered at the venue and at the same time, he found it difficult to rein in the horse.
Findley sat at the back of the pack in fourth position when the race finally got under way, as Dubai Dutchin which was ridden by the apprentice jockey Krishna Singh and Sweet Revenge with Rupert Ramnauth (who was later named champion jockey), made their move to the front.
As they approached the first turn, it was Dubai Dutchin, Sweet Revenge and Annie’s Playmate ridden by Kumar Singh leading the pack, with Pinch De Cash, Prince Charming and Laura Lee in Flight picking up the rear in a six-horse field.
They remained like that until the third turn at the North Eastern corner of the track, where Findley placed his horse into position alongside Sweet Revenge and Annie’s Playmate, who was ridden by Paul Delph.
Findley thought he saw enough of the pack and made his move with less than 175 metres to the finish line, where he went to front as the lone ranger to claim the $500 000 first prize and the beautiful Demerara Distillers Limited trophy that came with it.
Sweet Revenge, Prince Charming and Annie’s Playmate rounded off the top four positions where they each received $250 000, $125 000 and $63 000 respectively.
The day’s event began with Kumar Singh piloting The Diplomat to a comfortable victory over Black Beauty, Try Again and Sporting Time in a K and Lower class race that covered a distance of six furlongs.
Ramnauth then chalked up his first of two victories for the day, when he steered Fresh Prospect to a commanding victory over The Gap which was ridden by Yhap Drepaul, Dutchman with Mortland Sancho on board and Pixie Fire who was ridden by Narvin in a race which was sponsored by Lucky Dollar.
Sunny Singh should have piloted Box Fortune in this event which was for horses classified F and Lower and covered a distance of six furlongs, but he was unable to do so, as the starters sent the race on its way before he was in the saddle, which meant the horse covered the distance without a jockey to unofficially finish second to Fresh Prospect.
Up next was the two-years-old Guyana-bred horses competing for a first prize of $180 000 and the Digicel trophy over a distance of five furlongs, where Wicked Intentions who had refused to enter the starting gate with jockey Mahendra Sookoo on board, came out tops.
Kumar Singh rode Apostle to second position, with Royal Salute ridden by Mark Vossey and Kevin who was ridden by Narvin, completing the top four positions in a keenly contested race.
Daniel Floris was given the reins of Channel Boy for the I3 Maiden and Lower event which was sponsored by the New GPC of Farm, EBD and saw the disqualification of Graphic, who scored his victory in the last meet some two weeks ago.
Mark Nascimento was on board Sun Razor and took same to front after they were sent on their way in the half lap event, followed by Channel Boy and Foolish Pleasure who was being guided by Drepaul.
As they turned for home, Channel Boy and Sun Razor were joined by Sporting Time with Sookoo on board and they exchanged the lead, until Floris used his whip to good effect approximately 30 metres from the pole to steer his charge to victory albeit by a neck over Sun Razor and Foolish Pleasure respectively, with Lenny’s ‘O’ Halo ridden by Sancho taking fourth.
Ramnauth recorded his second win of the day in the saddle of Baby Boy who won the I1 and Lower International Pharmaceutical Agency-sponsored race that covered a distance of six furlongs.
Miami Vice, Lyana and Clear Victory tried desperately to prevent Baby Boy from taking the top prize of $140 000 and the IPA trophy, but their efforts were in vain as Ramnauth brought him from the back of the pack to a comfortable victory.
Suffice it to say, racing fans who braved the early morning rain on the Lower Corentyne area had to wait until the final race of the day to see one of the most exciting races on the day’s card.
Only five of the six entries were present for the Three-years-old Guyana and West Indies bred horses over a distance of seven furlongs and had a top prize of $300 000 and the Ramdin and Balkarran Pancham Memorial trophy at stake.
With the starting gate back in operation, Box Fortune piloted by Sunny Singh and Fairly Landed with Floris on board went to the front and set the pace which no other horse including Stormy Deal, Got to Go and Stormy Water could match.
The two frontrunners raced neck-to-neck on the backstretch and were like that on the turn for home until 25 metres or so from the finish line, where an extra surge from Floris pushed Fairly Landed to victory by half of a length over stable mate Box Fortune.
While Ramnauth was named the champion jockey and received a trophy, compliments of Trophy Stall Bourda Market, Floris was named the runner-up and S. Chattergoon the champion trainer.