It was a day of action from the opening race to the last at the Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club, Number 6 Village, West Coast Berbice, last Sunday.
Eight races were carded for the day and by 17:45hrs racing fans and pundits were winding their way through the gates satiated with a full day of excitement, barring the accident in which Forest Ranger suffered a broken leg.
The Banks DIH-sponsored C1 and Lower Class featured event which was handsomely won by Sequin was marred by that accident.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Sequin proved to all and sundry that she was the better horse in the race with a convincing eight and a half lengths victory over the rest of the field.
Ridden by Colin Ross, Sequin went to front from the word go, holding a two horse length lead over the rest of the pack that included the now deceased Forest Ranger, Sir Balajee, Daylight Reprise and Spin and Squeeze amongst others.
Sequin opened up an unassailable lead which left her opponents in her wake to claim an easy victory but this was overshadowed by the injury to Forest Ranger who broke a bone just below his knee and had to be put to rest.
From the first race which saw jockey Daniel Floris easing his charge Black Tricks to a comfortable victory, to the final race in which Red Bull exhibited the high energy expected from the drink of the same nameitself to take away the blessings from Blessed Child, racing fans and horse owners alike got their monies worth for the day’s activities.
One of the best races of the day occurred in the second event where Paul Delph manoeuvred his steed Alphabet through the crowd and an eventual emphatic victory over the more illustrious Fire Power, Luv-U-Dee and Matterazi, to claim the first prize of $180,000 in the F, G and Lower Class event.
It was an easy victory for New World in the J,K and Lower Class event, who went to front from 20 meters and never looked back, over Rukia and Red Bull in that order, while La Bayomosa had an eight horse lengths victory over It’s All Indian to take the $180,000 first prize purse in the Two-years-old open event.
In the first feature event for Three-years-old born and bred in Guyana and the West Indies, Jumbo Joy extracted revenge over The Gap who had defeated him two weeks earlier. The two led by jockeys Colin Ross and Daniel Floris respectively went to front from the word go and gave their respective supporters a thriller for their money. It was a head to head race until the turn for home where Ross, who was adjudged the Champion Jockey for the day’s meet, called on his charge and got a favourable response and an eventual victory.
Tropical Passion and Pinch De Cash finished third and fourth respectively, as Ross took the $200,000 first place prize and the trophy which was donated by the family of the late Norman Singh, back to the Jumbo Jet Stables.
Kavinci maintained his stamina and speed over the rest of the field to romp home an easy winner in the C&V Shipping sponsored H, I and Lower Class event, as from the word go, Kavinci ridden by Yhap Drepaul went to front and held his own to claim a pole to pole victory with Cheyenne and Vanessa and Brown Boy in that order.
The final race was a perfect one to bring the curtains down as jockey Mortland Sancho who is the brother of commentator Compton Sancho took his charge Blessed Child to the front and held onto that position.
But with 75 meters to go before the pole, Red Bull began a late surge, displaying enough energy that is related to the drink he is named after and ease away as the winner by a neck over Blessed Child to take the $85,000 first prize in the RRT Enterprise sponsored L Class event.
Deonarine Ramroop of Jumbo Jet Stables was adjudged the champion trainer, while the Jumbo Jet Stables was named the Champion Stables.
