Annie’s Playmate to receive strong challenge in feature race
WITH over $5M in cash and prizes set to be distributed to the respective winners at the Kennard Memorial Turf Club’s (KMTC) annual Boxing Day horserace meeting tomorrow, all eyes will be focusing on the feature race which carries a magnificent first prize of $1M and a trophy.
At last year’s running of the said race which covered a distance of nine furlongs for horses classified B and Lower, Annie’s Playmate shocked the field to take the prize and who can forget the look on trainer Errol Matheson’s face and the smile that owner Chandra Sohan displayed when jockey Daniel Floris steered her past the pole from the back of the race.
This time around, horses in the calibre of Jumbo Joy, Delmur Gold, Sweet Revenge, Sir Balajie, Marathon Man, Miss Orientate, Tropical Passion, Prince Charming, Home Bush Baby and The Message have all taken entry for this event, posing a strong challenge to Annie’s Playmate.
Eight other races are scheduled for the day, with the action set to commence at 13:00 h and with the excellent weather that has been prevailing over the Corentyne area of late, the track at Guyana’s oldest horse racing club should be in excellent condition for the day’s activities.
The action thunders off with a G and Lower race that covers a distance of seven furlongs and has a first prize of $200 000, followed by the K and Lower race that will run for six furlongs and carries a first prize of $110 000.
Up next is the Digicel-sponsored two-year old event for horses bred in Guyana and the West Indies that will see the winner gallop off with $200 000 and the Digicel trophy, but more importantly, horseracing fans would be looking to see whether Wicked Intentions can end the year unbeaten.
Stiff opposition will come from Cash Connections, Speed Vision, Water Wave and Kevin who will all look to hand the undefeated Wicked Intentions, her first defeat of the year, even though it is the final meet.
As is customary when races are being held at the KMTC, the Trophy Stall of Bourda Market and City Mall have put up for grabs the champion jockey and trainer trophies for this meeting.
Meanwhile on Thursday, Proprietor of Trophy Stall of Bourda Market, Ramesh Sunich, presented the champion jockey trophy for  the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club Boxing Day horserace meet to club representative Justice Cecil Kennard. Sunich’s father  was a formerjockey and said that his association with the sport has been a long one and the gesture is in memory of his late father.