Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
AS RACING resumed at Caymanas Park yesterday following a three-week break, the reigning 'Horse of the Year', A KING IS BORN, cemented his claim as the island's top sprinter with an emphatic victory in the Reggae Trophy Graded Stakes for top-class horses over the straight five course.
Installed a 2-5 favourite with four-time champion Charles Hussey riding for 13-time champion trainer Philip Feanny, A KING IS BORN, toting top weight of 58kg, won by 3 1/4 lengths from the lightly weighted American filly U.S. ONE at 5-1. Finishing third, another 3 1/4 lengths away, was the 8-5 second favourite LIL'COUNTRY BOY.
LIL'COUNTRY BOY showed superior speed from the No. 2 post position to lead by a length from A KING IS BORN and U.S. ONE in the six-strong field. As they galloped on to the main track, however, A KING IS BORN asserted his authority. He quickened into the lead leaving the quarter pole, winning quite easily in the smart time of 56.4, a mere fifth of a second outside the track record held jointly by the Feanny-trained horses EROS and RAKKADASH.
HAMILTON ABSENT
A four-year-old chestnut colt by Royal Minister out of the 1990 Guineas and Derby winner Distinctly Native, A KING IS BORN, who just missed out on the Triple Crown in July of last year, is owned by Howard Hamilton (Hamark Farms) and bred by Ken Gooden. Hamilton, however, was not around to see his charge record his 14th win from 17 career starts as he is off the island.
The colt's major objective is the prestigious Red Stripe Caribbean Sprint in November, but a stable source revealed that all being well, he will also run in the UBA Gold Cup in December and None Such Sprint.
Earlier in the afternoon, Hussey had the first of two winners when hot favourite COLTRANE duly made it four in a row with another effortless runaway victory, this time in the Dewhurst Stakes over 1300 metres for native bred two-year-olds. Owned and trained by Richard Azan, the classy bay colt by Royal Minister out of the French Champagne mare Ebony Fire, made most to win by all of 18 lengths in the smart time of 1:18.2.
Feanny also saddled two winners - A KING IS BORN and the Lakeland Farms' CAPTAIN BONE (5-2) who ran on strongly under Paul Ramsay to win the inaugural running of the CTL Imported Stakes over 1400 metres, ahead of BUYABOOK who tried to make all in a field of six importees. In the absence of top jockeys Trevor Simpson and Shane Ellis, the trio of Hussey, Clive Lynch and the apprentice Howard Newell rode two winners each.
