KINGSTON, Jamaica - The day’s feature on the nine-race card was the first renewal of the 1,600-metre She’s A Maneater Trophy to perpetuate the memory of one of the greatest thoroughbreds to grace the local turf.
Too numerous to mention here, her exploits were legendary as she won races over all the available distances from 1,000 and up to 2,400 metres. The illustrious crowning highlights of She’s A Maneater’s brilliant career included the 2017 Triple Crown, the Superstakes three times, the Diamond Mile twice, and at retirement the leading all-time stakes earner with more than $46 million bankrolled from 25 victories.
Eight declarations reported to the starter with the Ian Parsard-conditioned US-bred four-year-old gelding Jordon Reign’s dominating the early betting and eventually he ran as the even-money favourite. Running as though something was amiss, progressive three-year-old Runaway Algo led early but soon yielded the advantage tamely for Jordon Reign’s to assume effective control for the rest of the gallop.
It was an all-American top three when fellow US importees Eros and Runaway Algo trailed Jordon Reign’s to the line by two and five lengths, respectively. For leading reinsman Dane Dawkins it was the second of two winners in tandem with Parsard who saddled Dodge This Link (6-1) to win the day’s sixth run at 1,300 metres.
It is a little surprising that a rider of the calibre and affable personality of Linton Steadman, who rode Storm Valley (4-5) to win the 1,200-metre opener for trainer Dennis Thwaites’ first of two, had only attracted 32 mounts with seven wins at the end of the eighth month of the current racing year.
Heavyweight claiming jockey Mario Chong made full use of his 16th opportunity to win his second of the season, with trainer Ryan Darby saddling the first of two winners on the card for the stable. Running for only the third start, four-year-old maiden Hopenperseverance at odds of 3-1 was well schooled by Chong to score by four-and-a-half lengths over the 1,400 metres of the second event.
The 1,100-metre third went to Salah (Phillip Parchment), saddled by jockey-turned-trainer Phillip Elliot at odds of 5/1.
The fourth was a mere formality for 10-year-old money-spinning Superluminal (Omar Walker) winner, now of 20 races, including the 2015 St Leger, from 73 starts. This win was the second of the day for the Thwaites stable as Superluminal at odds of 1/5 controlled the pace over the 1,600 metres to score by three-and-a-half lengths.
Race five saw the first of two major upsets on the card, with Ryan Darby in the winners’ enclosure again. This time with it was 37/1 maiden winner Fyffes Pen Liz (Matthew Bennett), whose fast finish wide was good enough to take the 1300-metre gallop by half of a length.
Champion trainer Anthony Nunes saddled one winner. With 30 meets remaining this season, he is trailing 2021 challenger Jason DaCosta by nearly $7.0 million. Ryan Lewis aboard Aphelios (5-2) had no difficulty finding a gap against the far rails to be in front at the end of the sprint over the round 1,000 metres of race seven.
While the nightcap, run over 1,200 metres, produced the second upset of the day with 86/1 shot Great Trick (Raddesh Roman), saddled by Gary Subratie, winning by a head.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Gary Subratie for the improvement of Great Trick, who showed very little ability in three races prior to his transfer but has now won two of three starts for his barn. The Best Winning Gallop was displayed by Jordon Reign’s in his first attempt at 1,600 metres. Raddesh Roman secures the Jockeyship Award with victory by a head-on Great Trick in a very close affair, with the next three to finish a short head, dead-heat, and another shot head abreast.
