Isle Be True first in Restricted Handicap

SPEEDY Isle Be True made virtually all the running to win the feature Restricted Handicap on Day 8 of the Arima Race Club racing season at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday. Sent into the lead shortly after the off, apprentice Joshua Stephen kept the Freshly Squeezed/Isle Be Gone horse ahead of his seven rivals throughout, and held off a late challenge by Over And Above, with Naturelly Classy soldiering along for third and a rusty Movietowne Magic one-pacing in fourth in the 1350 metres race. Otra Avenida showed her continued improvement in taking the 1100 metres sprint for West Indies-bred three-year-old maidens. This filly was kept just off the pace set by early leader and pre-race favourite Chavez, and took up the running 300 metres out for an impressive victory. 

Barbados-bred Up Above ran on without troubling the leaders to get third and Go Geronimo ran on at one pace to be fourth. Joint Account, a noted tardy starter, was a surprise winner of the 1100 metres turf race for four-year-old and over and rewarded backers with $36.50 and $9.60 on the tote. But the biggest trifecta dividend came in the seventh race won by Living In Hope with 2Sharp second and Creme Caramel third.  The payout was a whopping $7,171.00, but with Evel Kneevle finishing fourth, there was no winner of the superfecta.

It was a memorable day for teenage apprentice Neela Mohammed, the 18-year-old landing his first ever winner astride Living In Hope. This six-year-old was saddled by Dr Warren Achille for his first winner, and another first time winning trainer was Fred de Freitas, who saddled Entertainer for his victory. The day’s card attracted only a small band of turfites, and with the fields very small, seven horses in most races, dividends were very moderate. Sunset finished second in the race for West Indies-bred four-year-olds on the turf course, but was later disqualified and placed last. And rider, champion apprentice Gary Laban was grounded for the forthcoming two race days, meaning he will miss the rich Easter Monday programme.

But another apprentice, Joshua Stephen shared the day’s riding honours with  jockey Ricardo Jadoo, both guiding home two winners on the day’s eight-race programme. Shaffique Khan, for the second racing day in a row, was the leading trainer saddling two winners.  Next race day is March 28 (Easter Monday), when the feature will be the Arima Race Club Handicap featuring “Horse of the Year’ Sugar Mike, with the three-year-olds fighting out the Ibis Stakes and Flamingo Stakes also on the programme.