Zealot, ridden by top apprentice Paul Francis, is driven out to win the sixth race over the round five course at Caymanas Park yesterday, the 5-y-o mare scoring at odds of 5-2.
-Carlington Wilmot photos
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
ODDS-ON FAVOURITES CRUISING ALTITUDE and BROTHER DANIEL won the pre-Xmas co-features at Caymanas Park yesterday, the Anthony Nunes-trained CRUISING ALTITUDE landing the restricted allowance I for the Rimsky Trophy over the circular nine course by the proverbial city block.
Installed a 1-5 favourite with in-form Trinidadian jockey Brian Harding in the saddle, CRUISING ALTITUDE streaked home by 12 1/4 lengths from 2-1 second favourite SIMPLYUNBELIEVABLE who won the battle for second with SHOW N'TELL at 7-2.
It was the outsider ZIP UP who showed superior speed to lead in the early stages, but was quickly tracked by CRUISING ALTITUDE on a snug hold in second. These raced several lengths ahead of TON OF DESIRE and SHOW N'TELL in the seven-horse field.
Leaving the 1000-metre point of the course, Harding asked CRUISING ALTITUDE for his effort and he quickly disposed of ZIP UP approaching the half mile to race into a commanding lead at the final bend.
He turned for home some 10 lengths clear of SHOW N'TELL and was merely racing the clock in the closing stages, stopping it in the fairly good time of 1:56.3.
CRUISING ALTITUDE thus raced to his second consecutive win over the distance, having won the Joseph Armond Memorial Cup (non-winners of two) on December 4, by the resounding margin of 17 1/4.
By Pat N Jac out of For My Jet, the three-year-old chestnut colt, who finished third to subsequent Derby and Superstakes winner DISTINCTLY IRISH in the Track Price Plus 2000 Guineas back in April, is owned by Barbados-based Elias Haloute and bred by the Orange Valley Estates Limited.
MOST IMPROVED TRAINER
Later in the afternoon, trainer Barrington Rambally cemented his claim for the 'Most Improved Trainer' of the year award when he posted BROTHER DANIEL to win the day's co-feature for the Paul Newman Memorial Trophy (claiming $320,000 - $270,000) over 1600 metres.
Rambally completed a quick double when his other 4-5 favourite, PHYSICS BOOK, overcame a sluggish start to romp the sixth and final race in the CTL Claiming Series ($170,000 - $145,000) over 1100 metres.
PHYSICS BOOK, who shot into the lead passing the half mile to win his second consecutive race, was ridden by apprentice Marklee Buchanan who had a second winner on the card in 22-1 outsider JACK EM UP (made most) in the fifth race over 1300 metres.
BROTHER DANIEL, meanwhile, made all to win by two lengths from 2-1 chance REJECT who chased him relentlessly in the seven-strong field. The five-year-old horse by Al's River Cat out of Pleasant Company rounded off a double for the in-form apprentice Kerry-Gayle Robinson who went wire to wire aboard Peter McMaster's THE RASTAFARIAN in the seventh race over 1100 metres.
Rambally, who claimed BROTHER DANIEL for $300,000 from owner/trainer Dennis Lee on November 13, said the horse is becoming one of his favourites.
"Brother Daniel enjoys winning trophy races and this is the third one that I have sent him out to win this season," Rambally said.
"He won both the Harry Rigg Memorial Cup in July and the Emancipation Day Trophy for me in August and so long as he remains sound, he will continue to win middle-distance races in the $300,000 and up claiming bracket," he added.
This was BROTHER DANIEL's fifth win from 12 starts this season and he is now in line to be named 'Claimer of the Year', even though it is felt in some quarters that MR. VIGOROUS should give him stiff competition for the award.
Meanwhile, the whopping Pick-9, which had eluded punters for nine consecutive racedays, was cornered by two punters, each receiving a whopping $3.45 million. The lone upset in the Pick-9 races was recorded by the Michael McIntosh-claimed JACK EM UP, who paid $233 for the win.
