….will now miss Sunday’s race

THREE horses booked to leave yesterday (Thursday July 11), from Trinidad’s Piarco Airport, to compete in Sunday’s eight-race card at Port Mourant, Berbice, will not compete.

Trinidad and Tobago’s 2021 Derby Stakes winner, Stroke of Luck trained by John O’Brien, and ridden by Brian Boodramsingh for Raroma Stable are among the trio who were turned back from the Piarco Airport yesterday morning. This came after a Caribbean Airline mechanical issue.

The other horses booked to travel with chestnut horse Stroke of Luck are Forza Baby, a three-year-old chestnut filly, and Storm Dancer, a three-year-old dark/bay colt.

Two of the three horses are owned by Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee. They are Forza Baby, and Stroke of Luck. The other horse is unraced maiden, Storm Dancer, owned by Fazal Habibulla.

The shipping agent for the horses revealed, “Luck ran out on Stroke of Luck. The horses were scheduled to leave this morning around 7.30 a.m from Piarco Airport, Piarco. The horses were already on their way to the airport, when I was informed about two hours prior to the cargo plane’s arrival, that it has been delayed in Miami. The reason being a mechanical issue, and CAL could not say how soon the plane will depart from Miami. They had the information of the flight’s delay close to three horses before I was informed, and never shared the information until the ‘last hour’ so to speak.”

The agent added, “This is very stressful for the owners, and more so for the horses. They were tranquilised before loaded into the trailer to transport them to the Airport. Then I had to send them back to their stables at Santa Rosa Park, because Caribbean Airlines Limited’s (CAL) personnel from the Operations department could not confirm when the flight will depart. It is unfortunate that these horses cannot compete on Sunday. As this race day was their preparation race ahead of the Guyana Cup, which will be staged on Sunday, August 11 2024 at Rising Sun Turf Club, Rising Sun Village, West Berbice. It is a Derby winner coming to compete in Guyana.”

The agent also advised that four other horses will leave from Trinidad in two week’s time to compete on Guyana Cup day at Rising Sun Turf Club race track, Rising Sun Village, West Berbice.