Gold Master glitters at Santa Rosa

GOLD MASTER put in a glittering performance to romp home winner of the feature Starter Allowance on Day 13 of the Arima Race Club season at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday.

Always close up in the 1100 metres race, jockey Larry Munoz pushed his mount to join fleet-footed pace-setter Song Of Freedom and scooted away a clear winner. Miss Lover Lover, tracked the leader from the off, but when the heat was turned on in the $20,000 event, backed out to be third, while Red Hill ran on from the back of the field to be fourth. Fortunate Flag was a runaway 12-length winner of the day’s opener over 1300 metres under jockey Haniff Emamalie.

Apprentice Richard Mangalee will remember yesterday, as he officially had his first winning ride astride Groomsman in the day’s third event. The young rider landed the 1999 Royal Oak Derby winner on Day 11, April 12, but was disqualified and relegated to second. Another apprentice, Naim Samaroo, stole the show at the tail end of the afternoon, winning both the penultimate and final races astride Sweet Tempo and Carnival Messiah, both trained by Glenn Mendez. For Carnival Messiah, it was a welcome return to winner’s enclosure at Santa Rosa Park, after racing unsuccessfully in the United States and Barbados.

The Messiah became the the first horse to achieve the triple crown since racing was centralised at Santa Rosa in 1994, when he won the Guineas, Midsummer Classic and Royal Oak Derby 2001. Also landing a double yesterday was jockey Haniff Emamalie who was later injured when his mount Naturelly Classy reared up in the starting stall in the seventh race. Gold Master was best on the tote yesterday with returns of $23.50 and $2.00, while the biggest trifecta was on the First Love, Cotonou, Cat Woman combination of $1,813.40, and with Once In A Lifetime finishing fourth, the superfecta dividend of $4,168.60 was by far the best. There was, however, another handsome superfecta dividend on the Hannibal’s Will, Baggy Green, Free Zone, Tea Time Doc quartet - $3,350.10. Racing will take a holiday next weekend, but will return on May 17 with an expectesd 10-race programme.