For whom the Belle tolls

Bandera Belle (left) with Renaldo Cumberbatch aboard, upset the form book to win last Saturday’s Derby by a half length from Summer Time, ridden by Jalon Samuel. (Picture by Kenmore Bynoe.)

By Lindon Yarde | Wed, August 22, 2012 - 12:03 AM

Upsets are nothing new to horse racing, yet when a horse perceived as having little or no chance of winning the main attraction records a surprise victory this usually leaves racing enthusiasts in shock.

This was the case last Saturday at the Garrison Savannah in the 73rd running of the United Insurance Barbados Derby over 2 000 metres as Bandera Bella upstaged the opposition to give her connections the glittering cup and the top prize.

Very few people gave this Lady Williams and Michael Panter-owned and bred filly a winning chance hence she went off at the healthy odds of 35 to one. This was in addition to the fact that her jockey Renaldo Cumberbatch had only won one race in over a year.

This pair, however, defied the odds and etched their names in the history books. Bandera Belle made it a hat-trick of wins in this race for fillies joining Leave It To Me and Kendal Moon. Fillies were dominant in this race, capturing the top three positions, with Summer Time second and Open Secret third.

For trainer Andrew Nunes, it was his third victory in this event following previous triumphs with Apostle and Kendal Moon. Bandera Belle had shown some promise performing reasonably against weak opponents throughout her career.

Noticeably, she stayed clear of the first two jewels of the triple crown – the Barbados Guineas and the Barbados Midsummer Creole Classic over 1 570 and 1 800 metres, respectively. Prior to Saturday’s victory, her best performance was in the Lady In Red Handicap over 1 570 metres against average rated horses.

For jockey Cumberbatch, let us hope he can use this win to rekindle his promising career. One can’t help but be happy for Cumberbatch’s achievement of winning the Derby against all odds.

While the Kendal Stable entourages are still basking in their glory, the talk of the race will centre on the dismal and disappointing performance by raging favourite Aston Martin. After a troubled start, the chestnut was given every chance by jockey Anderson Trotman but had no answer when the stayers changed gears.

Summer Time’s effort was simply fantastic. Her connections couldn’t ask for more as she was beaten by the better horse on the day in the dying stages.

Open Secret ran a good race taking third, but never presented a serious threat to the top two. Rickoshey again ran his heart out finishing fourth, a commendable feat by this steady one-pacer.

Chatter Box closed nicely from the back but left it too late. Roars never threatened, while Divine Destiny lost her chance at the start and Iamsogroovy raced with the leaders before fading.

Galaxy showed briefly, then faded, while Mrs B surprisingly tested the early pace and paid the penalty. Finally, Run For Your Money set the pace but quickly ran out of stamina.