A combination of dark clouds and intermittent rain brought an early end to the Barbados Turf Club’s ninth day of racing at the Garrison Savannah yesterday.
Shortly after completion of the eighth race on Remembering The Champions Race Day just after 5 pm, the jockeys’ decided that track conditions had deteriorated and were unsafe to continue.
The stewards then postponed the ninth and final race on a day that began with beautiful weather and saw trainer Richard Deane and jockeys Jalon Samuel and Antonio Perch each record a pair of wins.
Samuel won the second race when he skillfully produced the Daniel and Martin Riazman-owned Indanger with a perfectly timed run to defeat three-year-old and older horses rated 75-95 in the co-feature Bold Lewis Handicap over 1 800 metres.
He settled the Roger Parravicino-trained bay horse mid-pack behind frontrunners Captain Sully, Roars, Island Memories and Cinnamon Jane before making his move at the three-furlong marker.
This effortless move would prove enough as the pair came home to a comfortable one-and-a-half length victory.
He patiently piloted home the Aysha Syndicate’s filly Miss Fandando, trained by Richard Deane. Lune De Barachois, ridden by Jarelle Beckles was second, Cinnamon Jane under Affrie Ward was third and fourth position went to Island Memories, partnered by Damario Bynoe.
Samuel’s other win came in the day’s opener, the Television Handicap over 1 100 metres against three-year-old and older horses rated 52-75.
Perch ended a disappointing run of form when he landed Division B of the Best Wishes Handicap with Mr Whitehead-owned Jamaica Quill for trainer Neil Brathwaite.
He also took the day’s other feature race the Tinker’s Image Handicap, having produced A.P. Vincero, owned by Luther G Miller III and his wife Suzan Miller, with a driving finish having been content to sit behind the speedsters Slip Stream, Run Alke Run and Vitality for the early part of the race for three-year-old and older horses rated 87-110 over 1 100 metres.
That speed duel at the start took its toll of the leaders at the quarter mark by which time A.P. Vincero had gradually made up some ground. The colt moved away from the field in the homestretch to finished ahead of Run Alke Run – under Jonathon Grant – which stayed on for second, Charge It finished fast with Beckles up to take third with Vitality and Bynoe back in fourth.
Trainer Deane’s other win came via Midnight Express in Division A of the Best Wishes Handicap.
Trainer Cleveland Fields tasted his first success with Cane Cutter.