Twice Infallibile takes Sian’s Gold Sprint

TWICE INFALLIBLE made most of the running, and jockey Haniff Emamalie drove the Junior Sammy-owned colt to the wire to repel the challenge of stablemate Invincibility, in winning the feature First Citizens Bank Sian’s Gold Sprint Handicap, as the Arima Race Club 2005 racing season opened at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday. The duo gave owner Sammy a one-two finish in the race, as he made a grand start to the new season on First Citizens Bank New Year’s Day at the Races, leading in three winners. Others were Pave The Way and the classy Getdjobdone.

But the day was a revelation for young trainer Grant Lourenco who saddled four winners on the day’s 10-race programme, starting with debutant Freshman, he continued with Pave The Way, followed with Phantom Menace and Twice Infallible. Arts And Lovers was always in cruise control in winning for the fifth consecutive time. The Harold Chadee-owned and trained filly won the First Citizens Bank First Classic over 1100 metres, the first of the day’s tri-feature by an emphatic seven and a half lengths. And jockey Emile Ramsammy showed off his powerful finishing style, rousing Phantom Menace to victory in the First Citizens Bank Caribbean Championship over 1800 metres.

The Trinidadian now domiciled in Canada, brought Phantom Menace with a storming stretch run to just touch off last year’s Royal Oak Derby winner Mucho Tempo and another Canadian-based local rider Richard dos Ramos at the wire in a driving finish. The odds-on favourite Top Of The Class flopped very badly, finishing last of the eight runners. The Jamaican pair of Paul Francis and O’Neil Mullings will share the $3,000 prize for winning the First Citizens Bank Jockey Championship. Francis guided Freshman to victory in the first of the three designated races, with Mullings finishing second on Run Manie Run for a Jamaica one-two. United States-based Trinidadian Raymond Ganpath got into the act in the second jockeys race, landing shock winner Lady Secret, who rewarded backers with $40.10 and $6.70 on the tote. And Ricardo Jadoo had the easiest of rides in landing Getdjobdone in the third event.

Ramsammy shared the riding honours with current national champion Brian Harding, Jadoo and Emamalie, each landing two winners. Jack Debideen saddled two winners to be next best behind Lourenco among the trainers. According to figures released, turfites wagered $1.6 million yesterday, to surpass last year’s $1.4 million for the same meet. Meanwhile, the Racehorse Owners Associ-ation awarded young Gary Laban two prizes, Best Disciplined Apprentice and Most Talented Apprentice, while they voted Sugar Mike, Most Exciting Horse.