Favourites take a beating

“Horse-of-the-Year” Sugar Mike failed in his attempt to score back-to-back victories in the Sagicor Independence Cup Trophy at Santa Rosa Park, Arima on Tuesday, when favourites took a beating. Backers of fancied runners left the course thinner in their pockets on the holiday card which attracted a appreciable crowd. Only three of the most fancied runners  managed to score on the ten-race card. Lovely Pearl was the first of  top fancy to bite the dust, failing to menace in the 1100 metres opener. The 3/5 favourite began sending out distress signals early in the sprint and gave her backers not even a glimmer of hope in the four-horse contest. The eight-year-old mare which was having her third start since being claimed  by trainer John O’Brien finished 11-3/4 lengths behind Politics and Peace Of Mind, who battled from start to finish.

Undisputed then leveled the score for favourites by scoring cheekily in the hands of the competent but underated Lorne Keizer in $20,000 claiming event. Private Affair, who was surprisingly up early on the pace with apprentice Gary Laban, rallied strongly as the 8/1 choice close home to deprive Kato his third visit the charmed circle this season. Chief Commander, who was backed into favouritism finished fourth in the field of seven. Joshua Stephen, then continued a run by apprentices, bringing Traviata from way off the pace to sweep by odds-on choice Danzc With Class and Ricardo Jadoo late for a head verdict. Christopher Jadoo, who, like Stephen was granted his licence earlier this year showed that the “bug” boys could hold their own against the more experienced jockeys.

He kept 2Sharp up to his work to wear down 4/5 fancy Crack Shot and champion jockey Brian Harding by half as length at the finish. The victory aboard the Glenn Mendez-trained three-year-old was Jadoo’s first from 35 rides and brought a hat-trick for the apprentices. The youngster was lustily applauded on the way to the winners’ enclosure for his efforts, which will be long remembered, as it was also his first career win. Entertainer which was sent off at 3/1 in the betting showed the more fancied Copy Cat, a clean pair of heels, winning the 1350 metres contest from start to finish under the steering of champion jockey Brian Harding.

Alert The Ship, under a confident ride by Jody Arneaud reeled a second victory on the card for the best-back bunch, and registered another in the following encounter when Salsa Moves and Lorne Keizer helped to increase their ratio. But the pattern failed to continue when Sugar Mike disappointed his fan club in the feature event, the Sagicor Independence Cup. The “Horse Of The Year”, which went into Tuesday’s event with 12 wins from 16 starts was installed the 2/5 choice in the 1850 metres Turf contest. However he could only earn the fifth purse in the $200,000 event won by 13/1 outsider Miss Lover Lover. Soul Asylum and Ryan Thomas then put the dent into the coffin of fancied runners, widening the margin of victories to seven against three for outsiders in the closing encounter.