Kennard Memorial Turf Club

-Kavinci dies of overdose

The Message was delivered by express mail as jockey Paul Delph produced a stunning ride from gate to pole to win the El’Dorado Stakes but the Post Emancipation race meet was not without tragedy as one horse died of drug overdose.

Dr Dwight Walrond pronounced dead Kavinci, a horse from the Jumbo Jet Stable.

The horse was said to be suffering from Anuria – stoppage of water due to espenosis (blockage) of the urethra.

IN FULL FLIGHT! Jockey Daniel Flores (left) coasts to victory in the F & Lower race on Laura-Lee-In-Flight at the Kennard Memorial Turf Club on Sunday.
IN FULL FLIGHT! Jockey Daniel Flores (left) coasts to victory in the F & Lower race on Laura-Lee-In-Flight at the Kennard Memorial Turf Club on Sunday.

Dr Walrond told Stabroek Sport that persons in the stable had told him that they noticed that the horse had been experiencing problems urinating and that the trainer had administered 10 cc of Lesix.

The doctor said that dosage  amounted to a “severe overdose” and that he had been told that the medication had been given though there was no qualified veterinary officer on the scene at the time.

Dr Walrond said while dosages may vary among horses between  two to five cubic centimetres (ccs) should have been enough for the horse.

The Kennard Memorial Turf Club meet also had added controversy when stewards threatened to institute a $10,000 fine on owner and trainer of The Message, Colin Elcock at the conclusion of the ‘C’ and Lower race sponsored by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).

It had been alleged that persons affiliated with Elcock’s Racing Stable had invaded the track while the race was still in progress.

An irate Elcock felt that persons harboured an ulterior motive after the marquee race of seven furlongs which had the lucrative sum of $600,000 at stake with the winner receiving $320,000.

He reasoned that crowd encroachment was an activity that he had no control over and therefore stewards should not have singled out a particular person from a group and then “impose a fine” on his stable for track encroachment.

However, former Chief Justice Cecil Kennard told this newspaper yesterday that initially there was the intention of imposing a fine but the action was halted.

He noted that since an article was published in another section of the media, his club had been trying to stop ‘turfites’ from entering the track during and after the races. However, during and after every race patrons had been seen converging unto the track to conduct their betting and in some cases to celebrate their horses’ victory or good showing. Elcock was adamant that the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA) should be looking into the issues that are hampering the sport.

Meanwhile, The Message recovered from being boxed in at the first turn of the race in the third position but Delph skilfully manoeuvred his horse out of the corner to take control of the race from the second turn. He got some resistance from Pinch De Cash, ridden by Kumar Singh, on the turn before the home straight but Delph stood in the saddle with his whip and The Message responded by breezing home.

Pinch De Cash, of the Rumours Racing Stable, romped in second to claim $160,000, Customs Racing Stable’s Sir Balagie, jockeyed by Yap Drepaul, placed third with $80,000 and Sequin of the Jumbo Jet Stable came in fourth to gain $40,000.

The other high stakes race involved the Guyana and West Indian bred three-year-old horses and Zip Adee Doo Da trained by Sham Kumar Chattergoon and jockeyed by Kumar Singh, took home the top prize of $200,000 and the Arch Auto Parts trophy, a New York based company. The $375,000 stakes race saw Pixie Fire of the Customs Racing Stable pocketing $100,000 while Top-Of-The-Line  and Sea Rockette closed out the winning positions third ($50,000) and fourth ($25,000) positions respectively.

Baby Boy after running second in the ‘I’ & Lower category earlier in the day returned to take the top podium position in the G & Lower seven furlongs race to pocket $140,000 and the Ram’s Off Licence  Liquor & general Store trophy. Face De Music ($70,000), Finishing touch ($35,000) and Brown Boy ($17,500) got second, third and fourth respectively.

In the first two races of the day Daniel Flores was unstoppable however he had to settle for the runner up position in the champion rider race behind Prem Chandra because he only got a place and a show in his other races.

Chandra got two wins, two second places and one third position (show).  Clear Victory, jockeyed by Flores, won the K & L classes’ race sponsored by Kisson Dyal for $95,000. Red Bull was second ($47,500), Bounty Flyer was third ($23,750) and Ruffian came in the fourth posi0tion ($12,000). In the F & Lower categories Daniels returned with Laura-Lee-In-Flight to take the pole position with Sir Balagie and Face De Music trailing in second and third respectively.

In the Clear Water Stakes sponsored by the International Pharmaceuticals Agency (IPA) Group of Companies two year old Zionata, mounted by Chandra, of the Jumbo Jet Racing Stables took the $180,000 and the Clear Water trophy.

Miss Bounty ($90,000), Little Spike ($45,000) and Mona-Lisa ($22,500) rounded out the top prize winners with second, third and fourth respectively.

Bad News was good news for its owner I. Robertson when it ran to victory in the six furlongs ‘I’ & Lower categories with Kumar Singh in the saddle to take away $120,000. Baby Boy ran second to take $60, 000, Custom Warrior, mounted by Flores, got $30,000 for third place and Funny Side was fourth to grab $15,000.