Friday, March 29, 2024

Grudge match

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It’s on! It’s on! You wouldn’t want to miss the long and eagerly anticipated return clash between Show Me The Money, Apostle and Zoom.
They last met in this year’s Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup where Show Me The Money and Apostle went head to head. The race, however, ended in controversy with Show Me The Money being disqualified and the win being awarded to Zoom.
They will seek to settle these outstanding matters when they square off today at the Garrison Savannah for the feature race – the Val Gale Cup.
This weight-for-age event for three-year-old and older horses rated 118-140 and also open to horses rated 117 and below over 1 800 metres has attracted three other competitors and looks to be a thriller.
Regardless of the outcome, one surety is that more excitement will be created in the horse racing industry which is basically lacking equine stars.
Lord Michael Taylor-owned Show Me The Money has not raced since the Gold Cup. The Anderson Ward-trained horse, which finished second in last year’s edition of this race, is expected to be sound and can put his immense ability beyond doubt with a powerful performance, thus proving his Gold Cup form not to be a fluke.
Apostle has not appeared since his participation in the Gold Cup this year; additionally he has only one victory in the last year-and-a-half, but remains the highest rated animal in the race.
With compelling credentials and nothing to prove, local favourite Apostle is expected to attempt to run this field into the ground. Having served this country well against the highest calibre of opposition he will need another career best if he is to resume his winning ways. 
As he gracefully ages, this racing game has obviously gotten harder on this seven-year-old gelding. It is left to be seen if he still has it in him.
Zoom, winner of this year’s Gold Cup, extended his winning ways with a 1¾ length victory in the Lost In The Fog Trophy Handicap for the top rated horses 115-140 over 1 100 metres. Definitely past his best where sprinting is concerned, he will relish a return to the 1 800 metres trip and seek win No. 4 on the trot.
Zoom will want to ensure his stable’s shocking pink silk passes the line first and further strengthen the debate as to who’s the best horse in training at present and that he was in every way a deserving winner of the Caribbean’s premiere horse racing event.
This being a weight-for-age race really seems to put the others at a very serious disadvantage. Bipin on previous attempts at the trip has been found wanting on each occasion. Ring Time and Kingdora have both tried this company before at the shorter trip of 1 570 metres, both handicapped with the penny stamp of 108 pounds, and with their best efforts failed to get the job done.
In horse racing nothing is guaranteed but rest assured Ring Time and Kingdora are up against rivals at the peak of their powers and are expected to come up way short. 
 

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