Saturday's 11-race programme at Caymanas Park produced one of the biggest upsets in years when the little-fancied NATURAL ATLANTA stormed through in the closing stages under tender handling for a 240-1 upset.
Ridden by the apprentice Rayan 'Chin' Wilson for owner/trainer Patrick Fong, NATURAL ATLANTA, not the best drawn at four in the straight five race for maiden three-year-olds, foundherself outpaced towards the far side for the first 700 metres as the highly fancied KING ISAAC enjoyed a clear lead on the stands' side ahead of PAT ON CALL.
However, the three-year-old filly by Natural Selection out of Cayman Islands found her legs in mid-track leaving the furlong pole, coming through midway the last furlong to win much easier than the official winning margin of a length indicated.
NATURAL ATLANTA thus released the maiden certificate on this her ninth outing, paying a whopping $4,924.00 to win on a $20 minimum stake, by $476.00 to place.
As a result of NATURAL ATLANTA and STREET FIGHTER winning the fourth race at 16-1, the Pick-9 had no takers. Indeed, Pick-9 consolations prizes were paid out to punters with six of nine (51), each receiving $2.871.
However, the Super-6 was caught by two punters - each bagging a cool $506,146.50.
COLLINS' FIRST
On a day when title-chasing jockey Oneil Mullings rode his second consecutive triple, apprentice Lenroy Collins rode his first official winner when BAILAME (9-1) landed the seventh race over 1200 metres.
Collins, who graduated with 14 others from the Jockeys' School in the summer of last year, was elated and in between congratulations from fellow apprentices like Jason Simpson, who welcomed him to the club so to speak, predicted that things can only get better. No one was happier for him than Ina Lawrence, the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) welfare officer who has direct responsibility for the apprentices.
"I feel good to see him getting that elusive winner at last. In the beginning, he was considered one of the very best from the last batch, but despite this he has been struggling. Today is the start of something new for him. The spell has been broken," she said.
While this was the first official winner for him, Collins is no stranger to the winners' enclosure at Caymanas Park. He won twice aboard HE AIN'T HEAVY in races confined to exercise riders prior to entering the Jockeys' School. And just over a year ago, whileattending the school, BAILAME provided him with a win in a race for the Jockeys' School trainees.
- O.C.
