No stopping Top Of The Class

TOP OF THE CLASS made it look ridiculously easy in winning the feature Allowance race on Day 26 of the Arima Race Club season at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday. And Merlin Samlalsingh’s handsome three-year-old Freshly Squeezed/Cres-cendo chestnut must not be opposed in next month’s Royal Oak Derby. From the off in yesterday’s 1750 metres event, jockey Ricky Jadoo had the Glenn Mendez-trained colt on a tight rein tracking pacemaker Maid Of Honour. And when he asked him to quicken, Top Of The Class moved into high gear like a well-oiled machine leaving his older rivals including last year’s Derby winner Millenium Reign in his wake in third.

Chanticleer, the old “Iron Horse,” showed he still got some pep in his step, keeping on resolutely for the runner-up position and move to within $4,000 of $1 million in career earnings. Isle Be True showed his gallops form was no fluke when he whipped a good field to take the day’s curtain event worth $11,000 to winning owner Diane Scott. The riding honours of the day were shared by apprentice Gary Laban and Brian Harding who landed two winners each. But the Glenn Mendez was best among the trainers saddling two winners on the day’s 10-race programme. Biggest tote dividend of the day, $29.30 and $5.80, was paid on surprise winner Not To Worrie. The best exacta of $1,076.80, Trifecta $1,543.40 and Superfecta $3,036.00 came in the final event won by Isle Be True with Phantom Menace second, Gold Conveyor third and The Guv’nor fourth.