- RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ROSE BUD (Peter Bryan) heads to the winners' enclosure after her decisive victory in the Cecil C. Charlton Trophy feature race over 1300 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. The race was confined to high claimers.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
THE GREY mare ROSE BUD ran on gamely in the final 200 metres to overhaul even-money favourite MAGIC DRAGON in yesterday's Caymanas Park feature (claiming $420,000 - $390,000) for the Cecil C. Charlton Trophy over 1300 metres.
Strongly fancied at 2-1, ROSE BUD, with lightweight jockey Peter Bryan riding for trainer Dwight Chen and racing in the maroon and gold silks of Hamark Farms, won by a length from the Percy Hussey-trained MAGIC DRAGON under Rudolph 'Yellow' Paige in a field of eight.
GATLIN ON THIRD
Finishing a farther length away in third was 13-1 shot GATLIN under in-form apprentice Dane Nelson, while SHAHID at 13-1 completed the frame.
It was MAGIC DRAGON who broke on top and led in the early stages before giving way to the pair of JACK EM UP and GATLIN. Both jostled for the lead ahead of MAGIC DRAGON on the inside rails, with the rank outsider LIGHTENING ALLEY close up in fourth passing the half mile, with ROSE BUD outpaced a bit in fifth.
Regaining the lead on the inside approaching the home turn, MAGIC DRAGON straightened (wide) marginally ahead of JACK EM UP and GATLIN and was effectively holding the challenge of both when along came the fast-finishing ROSE BUD on the outside leaving the furlong pole, going by in the last 100 metres for a decisive win.
Bred by many-time champion Henry Jaghai, ROSE BUD, a 5-y-o mare by Sir Lal Bahudur out of the 1991 1000 Guineas winner Fiord, notched her second win from her past four starts and the seventh from 36 starts lifetime.
Prior to being claimed in March of this year, she was trained by champion trainer Philip Feanny.
Earlier in the afternoon, the rejuvenated six-year-old bay gelding FROMRUSSIAWITH-LOVE produced a devastating stretch run to catch and beat long-time leader KERMIT (12-1) in the closing stages of the Reca Trophy (claiming $290,000 - $260,000) over 1400 metres. He was ridden by bang in form claiming apprentice Kerry-Gayl Robinson who rode two winners on the 12-race programme.
Owned by Renex Burrell and trained by Lawrence Freemantle, FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE, who won the 2000 Guineas as a three-year-old in 2002 when trained by Percy Hussey, is by Prime Rate Powers out of Marlee Barley. This was his fourth win from his past five starts and he obliged as the 9-5 favourite in a field of seven.
Robinson also won aboard the lightly raced grey filly INTELLI-GENT GIRL in the fourth race for maiden four-year-olds and up. Also riding two winners was title-chasing jockey Brian Harding (Zip Up, Yahabibi) both for trainer Gary Subratie and four-time champion Charles Hussey (Dating, Natsatol). Harding has so far ridden 55 winners two behind the leader, Trevor Simpson, who rode one winner in SAYONARA.
MOST IMPROVED HORSE
The Wayne DaCosta-trained 4-y-o grey gelding NASATOL beat a good field of overnight allowance to underline his claim as the most improved horse in training. Always prominent as NATURAL PRINCE (Harding up) led at a fast clip to the last furlong, NASATOL (8-5 fav) wore him down in the closing stages to win by a length, posting his fifth win from his past six starts.
Meanwhile the mushrooming Pick-9 was finally caught after eluding punters for the past nine racedays. The $4.9 million payout was shared by four punters, each receiving $1.23 million.
