Last year’s Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup Major Marvel has passed on.
Major Marvel, an eight-year-old gelding, delivered the most famous horse race in the Southern Caribbean in 2013 for owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey.
Long before the race, Ramsey, in an interview with MNIDWEEK SPORTS, had indicated that whatever the results he was going to enjoy himself with his family as he had fallen in love with the country and its people.
As for his aspirations for the pattern event, he indicated he would love to win the Gold Cup but if he didn’t he would be the first to congratulate the winners and he would be back again the following year.
Well, as we all know, after the gates for the 2014 race opened, Ramsey was all smiles and overcome with emotion as under top journeyman Patrick Husbands, Major Marvel delivered the goods before a packed Garrison Savannah on a beautiful Caribbean day.
The win will be treasured by Ramsey as it coincided with his plan to participate in every major international horse race around the globe, with the intentions of capturing all where possible. The 33rd Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup fitted perfectly into his long-term plan and having won it at first asking was the icing on the cake.
Ramsey also said that he wanted to win with an offspring from his internationally top-rated sire Kitten’s Joy, something he could very well accomplish in the March 7 edition as two of the four horses he has nominated are sons of that stallion – Gentleman’s Kitten, who is out of Imagistic and Coalport, out of Ballade’s Girl.
Given time off to recuperate from his experience in Barbados, no sooner had Major Marvel started preparation for his first outing on home soil at Saratoga race track where the season ran from July 18 to September 1, he encountered complications from a bout of colic and subsequently passed away at Ramsey’s farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky, toward the last half of that season.
On appearance at the Garrison, many fell in love with this strapping gelding that looked splendid even when doing light workouts toward his final preparation for the big day. Ramsey is very determined to celebrate Major Marvel’s achievement and passing in grand style as he has also nominated another two horses, Saffron Hall and Sayler’s Creek, for the Gold Cup.
Major Marvel’s death follows on the heels of another Gold Cup winner Dancing David,m winner of the 2012 race for the powerful Hopefield Stable. In his defence the following year he finished a commendable fourth before suddenly passing away at his Christ Church home. (LY)
