THE BEST HORSE on the day won the Sandy Lane Gold Cup on its 34th running.
Sayler’s Creek went pillar to post and that, for me, puts everything into context.
It meant, for instance, that other noted front-runners like stablemate Gentleman’s Kitten and local favourite Just A Fashion weren’t able to get past him at any point of the grand race.
It can also be interpreted that the winner enjoyed the cut in the going and responded to every command from reinsman Rico Walcott, who rated his charge extremely well in displaying the masterful skills which have made him the king of the Northlands track in Canada.
Of course, Walcott was also going after a personal ambition to join his brother Rickey in becoming a Gold Cup winner and fulfilling his mother’s wish too. That and Sayler’s Creek’s superb adaptability to the sharp turns at the Garrison were further reasons why winning was the only option for the connections.
I don’t think we can make any excuses for Just A Fashion. A known speed merchant, he wasn’t able to get the lead, and being used to fighting his battles from in front, that might have affected his confidence.
In normal company, getting across to take the lead after drawing 10 would have been a formality for the local champion, but Sayler’s Creek wouldn’t be considered ordinary by our standards, so Just A Fashion needed that extra gear on Saturday, which he didn’t find.
I don’t have to tell you some pundits told me after the race that the “Coolmore Curse” afflicted Just A Fashion, while others matter-of-factly said that he ran his Gold Cup in the Coolmore. Either way, he failed to deliver but there’s always next year if all goes well.
We were told that Gentleman’s Kitten had a rough passage, but that’s all part of racing and you need luck which doesn’t always favour the best horse nor the best jockey at times.
However, after all the hype, which was deserving in the build-up to the event because of his career record, Gentleman’s Kitten’s fourth place might be classified as disappointing. His exercise form since arriving in Barbados increased the favour he found among pundits and he was duly installed as the one to beat. He never came close to meeting those expectations.
Juxtapose those rankings against the second and third place finishers and you appreciate even more the achievements of Daunting David and Knight Rider.
Daunting David was rated as the Hopefield Stables’ second best chance of landing an eighth Gold Cup accolade and even if he prospered from the cut in the going, he showed he has a very big heart as he made a spirited bid for the pot of gold in the homestretch. He surely put the pundits preferred choice Marcus Antonius in the shade.
The other Hopefield charge, Aristodemus, laboured and maybe that was the last time we would see him in a Gold Cup.
Perhaps the only ones who had Knight Rider to place so high would be his immediate connections and diehard supporters. In fact, one such supporter told me “don’t be surprised” if the Gay Smith-owned animal brings that element of surprise to the race. He was right.
It is now obvious that trainer Edward Walcott did what was strategically necessary to compete with the big ones, and don’t underestimate either the skills of jockey Antonio Bishop who gets the job done when few expect him to.
Top creole Sirius Black had his moments but wasn’t able to nail it. His failure to get on the tins isn’t a true reflection of his ability nor does it diminish his quality.
I am sure he will continue to improve and show his worth under the scholarship of top trainer Victor Cheeseman.
Another triumph for the Ramseys is a virtual guarantee that they will return to attempt the three-peat. That they entered two horses in this year’s spectacle is an indication that they value the prestige of winning it even though it’s not the biggest or richest race in which they participate.
I hope their involvement and sustained feedback about the race and Barbados in general will encourage other North American owners to be part of the Sandy Lane Gold Cup. We need to keep the international flavour in it to improve its competitiveness and interest among average race fans, who were there in their thousands on Saturday.
Lest we forget, past regional rivalries, particularly against Trinidad and Tobago, also added more spice to the event, so we must find a way to get them back.
Andi Thornhill is an experienced, award-winning sports journalist. Email [email protected]
