CLICO Classic goes Top Of The Class

TOP OF THE CLASS made hacks of 11 rivals to romp home an impressive winner of the 52nd running of the CLICO Midsummer Classic at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday. Victory in the second jewel of the local Triple Crown, puts the Freshly Squeezed/ Crescendo offspring one leg away from achieving the feat of Carnival Messiah two years ago. And should trainer Glenn Mendez saddle his charge to win the blue riband   Royal Oak Derby in September this year, he will become the first ever trainer to turn out two Triple Crown winners, having conditioned “The Messiah” to accomplish the feat in 2001. Owner Merlin Samlalsingh stand to rake in, apart from the Derby stake, an additional $250,000 should Top Of The Class remain just there. From the off in yesterday’s 1900 metres event, jockey Ricky Jadoo had Top Of The Class alongside Wild Life at the head of the field. And at the halfway stage, Jadoo asked his mount to draw away from Wild Life and he did without too much effort. When he swung for home, stablemate Celebration Time put in a semblance of a challenge, but Jadoo only needed to rouse Top Of The Class and he strode away majestically to be five-and-a-half lengths clear at the wire. Isle Be There ran on for third without troubling the first two, with Cornerstone getting fourth. Sugar Mike put in another commanding performance in capturing the 1200 metres Santa Rosa Dash and the $45,000 winner’s purse.

Always cruising as stablemate Song Of Freedom flashed his speed from the start, Nobel Abrego asked his mount for an effort 300 metres out and with electrical acceleration Sugar Mike sprinted clear to equal the track record of 1:10.2 seconds. But the star rider of the day was Jadoo who landed three winners on the day, taking the first two and the feature Classic. The day did not belong to Top Of The Class and Jadoo alone however, as David Ojar saddled his first runner as a trainer and it was beginners luck  when Joan Of Arc, a full sister to his Iron Horse, Chanticleer made all to win the CLICO Life Choices Trophy for three-year-old maidens in her fifth start. He was afforded tremendous applause as he led in the filly which he proudly led into winner’s enclosure, having also bred the daughter of Freshly Squeezed/Northern Bird. Joan Of Arc rewarded backers with $66.60 and $970, the best dividend of the day on the tote, and with another outsider Iron Will finishing second, the exacta payout was biggest on the day’s 10-race programme $679.20, while the superfecta was a whopping $8,630.10 with My Aphrodite being third and Creme Caramel next. Both Mendez and Grant Lourenco had double success on the programme to share the trainers accolade yesterday.