FORMER champion jockey turned trainer Anderson Ward dominated proceedings on the sixth race day at the Garrison Savannah yesterday. Ward saddled a career-best three winners on the day’s card, including the feature race, the Queen’s Plate Handicap that was won by Show Me The Money.He started with a victory in the Buckingham Palace Conditions Race for West Indian two-year-olds going 1 000 metres, with Island Memories, Vitality and Istanbul taking the first three places respectively. Ward followed that win with victory in the Coronation Sprint for West Indian-bred three-year-olds going 1 100 metres, with Rush Cutter partnered by apprentice Randy Whitter.Rush Cutter won comfortably from Habibti, Prince Of Groves and Bond Street, with all but the winner struggling to cope with the soft ground.This win provided young Whitter with a riding double, after his maiden win on Island Memories.Next for Ward was the feature race, the ninth running of the Queen’s Plate Handicap for three-year-old and older horses, going 1 800 metres. Before the event there was some disappointment for fans, with the late withdrawal of four runners from the field. Four-year-old chestnut Show Me The Money, with Jalon Samuel aboard, made most of the early running and was allowed to dictate from the front. Although Zoom, Rocamadour, Pure Temptation, Preach To Me and Charge It all settled nicely into position, it was noticeable that they were hard-pressed to keep pace.By the three-furlong marker, Show Me The Money had the main group off the bridle to keep pace, while his jockey was sitting comfortably.Entering the straight, Samuel asked the colt for an effort and he responded nicely, winning by three-quarters of a length. Charge It ran a good race to take second, with Pure Temptation third and pre-race favourite Rocomadour trailing in fourth.“It was a copy book ride by Samuel who rode to instructions and he’s elated,” winning owner Lord Michael Taylor told SUNSPORT.“What’s most impressive is that the young apprentice listens.” Ward said that his two-year-olds were continuing the tradition of doing well early, and he expected them to mature as time went on.“The ride by Samuel on Show Me The Money reminds me of when I was in the saddle,” he added.
