Trainers school juveniles at Arima

WITH the next day’s racing one week away and time on their hands, most trainers chose to keep their horses on “easy street” with light exercises on the gallop course at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday.

Others with juveniles, both unraced and experienced, opted to use the time to give their babes the exposure of mingling around the boxes before being taken forward and loaded into the starting stalls to be schooled. Trainer Maniram “Boboy” Maharaj, whose string is most forward and has dominated the entry in both two-year-old events so far  this season, chose to spend the grace period to re-school his runners. While the majority were only given the experience of filtering through the boxes Salsa Moves and Java Takeover, who were both withdrawn after giving  trouble to load last race day and stable-companion Java In Style stretched their legs over short distances after opening their gates. Salsa Moves was sharpest of the trio clocking 25.27 seconds between the 1200 and 800 metres markers, with his stablemate in close touch 26.87.

Trainer Douglas Bennett who reaped early rewards with juveniles Mama Do Do and Not To Worrie over past seasons introduced three from his string preparing for their baptism. The unamed trio out of Hot Headed, Willshewon’tshe and Rhythmic Dancer went easy after breaking from the boxes, posting 25.90 seconds over the first 400 metres before being eased. Speedfuhso, an unraced three-year-old from champion trainer John O’Brien’s stable lit up the morning with his speed. The late developer showed speed over the last 400 metres of the course in 23.43 seconds. His effort attained the only “good” of the morning in the remarks column of the Arima Race Club official clockers report.