KINGSTON, Jamaica - Entered for his 15th career race in a largely successful season with wins in The Kingston, the 2000 Guineas, and St Leger Blue Vinyl (Shane Ellis) was bet as the 2-5 favourite in the 1,600-metre Betmakers Holiday Bonanza Trophy #1 run as race nine.
At the end of such a long season it was unusual for this or any successful Classic campaigner to be declared in no fewer than five races at the backend and in this case a colt that could only finish eight-and-a-half lengths third in the Jamaica Derby on August 3.
Racing on the inner rails Blue Vinyl raced to lead 1000 metres from the finish to turn for home in front but failed to see out the distance. Positive ID sprinted into the lead entering the last 200 metres but failed to deny the strong late effort of Prince Marshall. The Fitzroy Glispie-bred, owned, and trained four-year-old progeny of War Marshall was a 23-1 upset winner ridden by leading reinsman Dane Dawkins for a fourth winning mount on the card.
The sudden and unpredictable return to form by six-year-old mare Kiah (Reyan Lewis) gave trainer Robert Ffrench a deserved Christmas gift by scoring at odds of 45-1 in the 1,400-metre opener. Conditioning such an inconsistent sort must have posed a challenge to the trainer who only commenced his local career earlier this year. While six-length winner Stanislaus (Oshane Nugent) was always clear over the straight 1,000-metre course of race three to land the odds of 4-5 for trainer Ryan Williams’ fourth success rom 34 declarations this season.
Seeking his first reign as champion, Dawkins, starting the day on 90, which was one winner more than chief rival Anthony Thomas, brought the Gary Subratie-saddled 3-5 favourite Sistren Treasure (USA) with successful late challenge in the third event contested by juveniles over 1,200 metres for the trainer’s first of dual success.
Thomas reduced the deficit aboard Phillip Feanny’s Babylike (4-5) in the fourth, run over 1,500 metres, but had no further success on the card.
The Dawkins show resumed in the 1,400-metres fifth with Northern Lady saddled by Patrick Lynch nearly seven lengths in front at the end of the 1,400-metre maiden event to add more pressure to Thomas’s pursuit.
Winner of the sixth event Always Vigorous (Samantha Fletcher), trained by Rohan Mathie, was the filling in a sandwich and lost early ground in the 1,400-metre sixth race but still won by just under five lengths at odds of 3-1.
Offering odds of 6-5, Olde Wharf (Andre Powell) overcame a significant ground-losing start to beat five rivals by over five lengths in race seven run at 1,600 metres. Half an hour later at the end of race eight Gary Subratie returned to the winners’ enclosure to pose for the formalities with Dawkins, who rode 5-2 shot All For Love to confirm winning mount number three.
It was 6-1 against Marlon Anderson’s Zion (Robert Halledeen) in the nightcap, who had his rivals in trouble 300 metres out and scored by four lengths over the 1,200-metre gallop.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Fitzroy Glispie for the return to form of Prince Marshall to execute the Best Winning Gallop, under the expert guidance of Dane Dawkins who gets the Jockeyship Award for his performance.
