Guineas go to Top Of The Class

TOP Of The Class made almost all the running to take the first classic of the 2003 racing season, the Union Park Turf Club Easter Guineas, by an emphatic 12 lengths at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday.

When the boxes opened, rider Ricardo Jadoo pushed  his charge into the lead, and as the 1800 metres event worth $60,000 to the winning owner wore on, he continued a resolute gallop to run his rivals ragged. One of the pre-race favourites Royal Flush was strangely outpaced early on, but made up ground steadily to finish second in the $100,000 race, the first leg of the local triple crown. With victory in the bag, trainer Glenn Mendez could be thinking of emulating his feat of two years ago when he saddled Carnival Messiah to achieve the first triple crown since racing had been centralised at Arima.

The start of the Guineas was held up for approximately 12 minutes however, when one of the fancied runners, Cornerstone, broke away from the boxes and galloped down the course for 100 metres. He was later re-saddled and sent back to the start, but on returning to the paddock after the race, it was discovered Cornerstone suffered a slight injury, and also his rider Wilmer Galviz. Champion stayer and Horse of the Year 2002 Adawar was beaten into second place by Invincibility in the other “big race” of the day, the UPTC Champagne Stakes over 1600 metres.

Smooth Operator set the early fractions chased by My Son John and Invincibility, and with 1000 metres still to race it was anybody’s call. But with 600 metres to run, Invincibility took charge and scooted clear for a handsome victory in the $75,000 event. Always well positioned, Adawar made a forward move 400 metres out, but he was never going to catch the winner. The race was robbed of some interest with the withdrawal of both Phantom Bidder and Sugar Mike. Jockey Nobel Abrego ran afoul of the stewards in the seventh race yesterday, and was fined $300 and grounded for one day for allegedly failing to ride out his mount Finest Gem.

Jockeys Brian Harding, Fazal Razack, Raymond Ganpath and Jadoo landed two winners each on the day’s 11-race programme, while Douglas Bennett, Raffique Khan and Grant Lourenco were the leading trainers saddling two winners each. Tote, exacta, trifecta and superfecta dividends were moderate except for the final race when rank outsider Golden Boy won by a head to reward backers with $31.10 and $8.10 on the tote. Together with Indian Rhapsody and Touchwood, the trifecta payout was $3,618, while the superfecta with fourth placed Ula paid $2,050.50.