Team Barbados dominated their opponents from Great Britain and Ireland on the Courtesy Breeders Classic and Barbados Winter Jockeys’ Challenge Raceday yesterday at the Garrison Savannah.
Riding like a man possessed, local captain Anderson Trotman led from the front, winning four races, which included the day’s two feature events.
When the Jockeys’ Challenge had been completed after the seventh race, Trotman had led his team to 99 points, contributing 47.
In response, the visitors could only muster 59 points with captain Kieren Fallon contributing 22 points to the cause.
Of Trotman’s four wins, none was more pleasing than the one aboard 2009 Barbados Triple Crown winner Areutalkintome. Owned by Attie Joseph and Saffie Joseph Jr, the colt by Zwick out of Bossa Nova made it two for two in the Courtesy Breeders’ Classic for Barbadian-bred three-year-old and older horses over 1 800 metres.
The pair who landed the 2010 edition went seven lengths clear, cutting out fractions of 24.2 for the quarter and 49 seconds flat for the half mile. Trotman then took the pace back to a crawl as they went three-quarters of the mile in a pedestrian 1:15, allowing the others to close the gap.
The chasing pack was led by Roars, Cinnamon Jane, Island Memories, High Tide, Nekitta, Knight Rider with Zoom and Kendal Moon at the back. With the mile completed in 1:38.1 Areutalkintome still looked strong despite the emergence of few challengers. Into the home turn two previous Derby winners, Knight Rider and Kendal Moon appeared prominently on the outside to throw down the gauntlet.
But Areutalkintome was resolute throughout in the battle that ensued with this year’s Derby winner Knight Rider. Both riders gave it their all but Areutalkintome showed his class to prevail. Under Antonio Bishop, Knight Rider’s gallant effort was rewarded with second place. Kendal Moon, partnered by Jalon Samuel, was good enough for third while Nekitta with Antonio Whitehall collected the fourth.
In the first feature, the Courtesy Juvenile Breeders’ Stakes and Trophy for Barbados-bred two-year-olds over 1 100 metres, favourite Neville Isdell-owned Kariba Rose gave her five opponents a few steps’ advantage from the gates. Having picked up the running at the five furlong pole, she never looked back.
