COMMENTARY FOR WEDNESDAY 27TH DECEMBER, 2006

Straight as an Arrow in

Guardian Holdings Gold Cup

By ANDRE E BAPTISTE

– Straight Ahead, brilliantly ridden by local jockey Ricardo Jadoo scored a gate to wire victory in the feature 2006 Guardian Holdings Gold Cup at a sunny Santa Rosa Park on Boxing Day in front of a bumper crowd. Straight Ahead sent off as the fourth choice in the betting at 9/2 bolted into an early six length lead as the horses passed the stands for the first time in the 2000 metres event.  He was tracked in the early stages by outsiders Suave Runner and Ice Timber, with 2005 Horse of the Year, Top of the Class, Crown Point (the 7/5 favourite) and Hello Yankee tracking the speedball.  Jadoo managed to settle Straight Ahead as the runners raced up the backstretch while maintaining a four length advantage.  With 800 metres to race, favourite Crown Point inexplicably dropped out of the running while second favourite Uram made a forward move.  Top of the Class and Hello Yankee also moved forward as Jadoo gave the leader a breather.  At the top of the straight, Top of the Class and then Uram tried to get on terms with the leader but Jadoo had left something in reserve and the three year old gelding gamely repelled the challengers.  Uram was second, Top of the Class third with Hello Yankee fourth.  With his third place finish, Top of the Class crossed the One Million dollar mark for earnings on a local racetrack. Straight Ahead’s win the Gold Cup was the first for his young trainer Kenny De Silva junior and also the first for his owner Antonio Navarro.

 

In the second of the day’s feature, the Guardian Life St. Ann’s Stakes over 1350 metres for West Indian bred fillies, Barbadian star jockey Patrick Husbands had an armchair ride on the favourite September d’ Sixth for Derby winning trainer, Maniram Maharaj who also owns the filly.  The 8/5 joint favourite tracked the early speed of Indrani, Jamaican bred Santa Baby and Foreign Connection before accelerating to the lead at the top of the straight.  The filly drew away from her rivals for a facile seven length victory.  Foreign Connection and Santa Baby fought out the second place finish with the former holding on by a length. Star of Sharon (99/1) stayed on to be fourth.  The other joint favourite, Keep the Faith, was a bitter disappointment trailing in twelfth of the fourteen runners.  In a post race interview, Husbands commented that September d’ Sixth was a very good filly and he was never worried.

 

In the third feature, the Guardian Life St. James’ Stakes, 6/5 favourite Oui That Lucky cut down early pacesetter Luca’s Gold in the shadow of the post for a one length victory.  Luca’s Gold attempted to make all of the running and had opened a six length lead at the top of the straight.  The Ministar colt ran out of steam in the final 100 metres however and was reeled in by Venezuelan Wilmer Galviz on the favourite.  Luca’s Gold held for second, with Some Like It Hot third and My Pa Pa a never dangerous fourth.  Oui That Lucky is trained by John O’Brien for the Olympus Stables.

 

Another feature of the day’s card was Race four, for the imported two year olds and over and in this event, first time starter, Film Director (5/1) ridden by Richard Dos Ramos was an impressive ten length winner over another first time starter, Running Bid.  Film Director started a bit slowly in the 1300 metres event but he scythed through his field to take the lead at the straight and stormed right away from the early leader Running Bid.  Tricky Valay stayed on from the rear to be third with Tasa Habita fourth.  The race was marred by the favourite, Cash It Back (3/5) dislodging its rider soon after the start and giving his supporters no chance.  Film Director, a son of Yes It’s True is owned by the Dachin Racing Stables and trained by Christopher Prime.

 

The other attraction on a very good day’s racing was the conclusion of the jockey championship with Venezuelan Galviz needing three winners to take the title ahead of local jockey Nela Mohammed.  Galviz, who had the better rides on the day, scored twice in the first five races courtesy of Dennyhasaglock (9/2) in Race two and Oui That Lucky in the St. James.  He was however out of luck on his other favoured rides being only fourth on Sky High in the opener and Hello Yankee and being dislodged from Cash It Back.  Although Mohammed was winless on the day, he managed to hold on to secure his first Jockeys’ Championship in Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Other winners on the day’s card were Fame and Glory (6/1) in the opener for Optional Claimers over 1750 metres, 35/1 shot Better For Gold in the three year old maidens event over 1350 metres, Jamaican bred Latonia (14/1) in Race Six, a Restricted Handicap event over 1350 metres, Bandikoot (12/1) in the Conditional Handicap D event over 1200 metres and Really Quiet (22/1) in the day’s curtain event for Optional Claimers over 1750 metres.

 

The top trainer on the day was John O’Brien who scored three winners with Oui That Lucky, Fame and Glory and Latonia.  Galviz was the top rider with two winners but would have been very disappointed with the results.  In the end of year titles, John O’Brien had already sewn up the Champion Trainer for both wins and money earned. Ronald Maharaj was Champion Owner.

 

AEB::