Border Dispute in Derby upset

TRAINER GLENN Mendez and his charge Crown Point were inches away from winning the Triple Crown at yesterday’s 75th annual Royal Oak Derby at Santa Rosa Park, Arima. With less than 100 yards to go, Crown Point was well on its way to victory until the Jack Debideen-trained Border Dispute came out from the pack to pip him at the finish. The other pre-race favourite, Flying Millie, as well as Flying the Flag, secured third and fourth places respectively but it was the Jamaican-trained filly which walked away with the $150,000 purse. The race had a tragic ending though, as Flying the Flag, owned by John O’Brien and bred by its owner Alwin Poon Tip, and who had never ran over 1,200 metres before, collapsed and died moments after crossing the finish line.

Border Dispute returned a time of 2:09.15, after getting a start that was not so favourable, with The Night Man, Golden Gump and Flying Millie taking the lead from the get-go. Crown Point too did not get the start it was hoping for but quickly took control midway during the 2,000-metre race. Acid Test, Flying the Flag and Flying Millie tried to stay with him but the Tobago-based chestnut colt covered ground quickly and left them behind. A sprinkling of rain, which had delayed the start, only added pace in the legs of Crown Point throughout the race and, moreso, to the winner Border Dispute, ridden by Nobel Abrego and owned by Graeme Dulal-Whiteway. Sara’s Music and, in particular, jockey Abrego had set the stage in the earlier Nursery Stakes when it disposed of a challenging field to win the 1,200m sprint, on the track, from Fun Time and Smoothanalert.

Top of the Class won the Stakes and Lower Handicap on the turf, as it got the better of a small but challenging field. The Mendez-trained five-year-old led from the off and never let up, clocking a time of 1:38.00, followed by Dottie’s Way and Fantastic Story. Abrego and Rajpaul Rajkumar were the most successful jockeys yesterday, each guiding two winners, while trainers Mendez and Cyril Arneaud also earned double successes. Punters who follow Newsday’s tipser The Raja were rewarded yesterday with a winner which ended 19-8 in the betting odds.