THE LORD MICHAEL TAYLOR/CLIFTON RACING stable's recent domination of local racing continued at the Garrison last Saturday with three more victories on The Salute to the 2007 Champions Race Day.
Andy Ward, recently contracted to the stable, booted home two of the winners while Trinidad's Richard Lunan rode the other.
Chris Husbands, the stable's other contracted rider, began a three-month ban earlier imposed by the stewards, last Saturday.
The stable's first win came via recent American-bred import Daylight Express, with Ward aboard.
Contesting the 1 570 metres The Jean Blondin Memorial Trophy Handicap, Daylight Express, in registering his maiden win, blew away his three other opponents which included the previously unbeaten JakeJakeJake, who was pulled up at the bottom of the homestretch.
Ward returned in The 2007 Champion Jockey Anderson Trotman Trophy Condition and drove Royal Emblem to a fighting win in the 1 100 metres event. Favourite No Spin Zone (Juan Crawford) set a warm early gallop but Ward tracked them on the rail and as some space opened up at the final bend for home, Ward pushed the colt up on the rail and he ran on doggedly for a facile victory.
The stable's third win was probably the least expected and the best
of the three as Lunan had to bring Dr Pepper from what appeared an impossible position in the straight to snatch victory.
With about three horses ahead of him, including leader Vital Hustler (Trotman), stablemate Benjaman (Ward) and Cove Bay (Renaldo Cumberbatch) all heading for the line, Lunan and Dr Pepper appeared trapped on the rail three-quarter way down the homestretch. Recognising his dilemma, Lunan saw some room opening up and he shifted the previously disappointing colt into the middle of the track and simultaneously asked him for an effort.
Dr Pepper answered with instant acceleration and he cut down those ahead of him one by one to the extent that he not only got up to win, but he did so with relative ease. Zanzibar, with Antonio Bishop aboard, also started his run the same time as the winner and he also ran on strongly to snatch second position from the weakening Vital Hustler (third) and Cove Bay (fourth).
It was also good to see apprentices Johnathan Grant, last year's champion apprentice, and Louis-Phillipe Beuzelin enter the winner's enclosure once again. Beuzelin and The Sundance Kid surprised all and sundry by upstaging stablemate and favourite Bouncebak (Ward) in winning the 1 570 metres The 2007 Champion Trainer Liz Deane Trophy Condition, while Grant's win came on the Victor Cheeseman-trained Aquarius Star in The 2007 Champion Breeder Trophy Condition.
Seven-pound claiming apprentice Dwight Bailey also registered his first ever win by taking the opening race, The 2007 Champion Apprentice Johnathan Grant Trophy Condition with the Victor Cheeseman-trained Coral Princess.
Cheeseman was the only trainer to saddle two wins on the day. These came via Coral Princess and Aquarius Star.
Other successful trainers were Naz Issa (The Sundance Kid), Robert Peirce (Daylight Express), Andrew Nunes (Total Eclipse), Richard Deane (Royal Emblem), Roger Parravicino (I'm A Lucky Native), and William Clarke (Dr Pepper).
Meanwhile, in my recent review of the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, I made a number of suggestions which arose out of my discussions with some race fans. However, there was one suggestion which I forgot to mention and to me it is sufficiently important to mention it here. The suggestion relates to the pre-race betting on the Gold Cup which usually takes place the Friday evening/night before the actual running of the big race.
A number of race fans were extremely peeved at not being able to bet on Sir David Seale's John Brian when they placed their bets on the night of the pre-race betting simply because at the time he was still the No. 3 reserve.
All that changed on Gold Cup day as stablemate Favorite Player was withdrawn and was replaced by John Brian. The rest is now history as John Brian went on to finish a close second behind Pure Temptation.
As the fans have pointed out, this could have been easily solved if the club had made it possible for the pre-race day punters to place bets on all 15 horses listed on the programme, thereby roping in the three reserves as well.
This appears a reasonable solution and I hope when the Gold Cup comes around next year, such a policy is implemented since some of those who placed their bets during the pre-raceday betting remained at home and watched the action on television the following day.