Blast Them Away for Ash Wednesday Trophy

BY HURBUN WILLIAMS Observer writer

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

BLAST Them Away puts his unbeaten record on the line in the $715,000 Ash Wednesday Trophy when the imported American colt faces eight rivals in the Overnight Allowance, three-year-old upward feature on the nine-race card at Caymanas Park today.

A a two-year-old, Blast Them Away has swept all before him, but will now face seasoned Overnight Allowance campaigners for the first time as he makes his debut as a three-year-old.

They will go 1,300 metres at approximately 4:55 pm, with first post at 1:00 pm.

Owned by Robert K Thomas and prepared for the races by champion and leading trainer Wayne DaCosta, the promising three-year-old colt by Proud Accolade out of Evita Villa (Forest Wildcat) has already won over the distance in a decent time of 1:19.4 and any marginal improvement should see him through to another win with leading jockey Dane Nelson, who was aboard on his last two victories, remaining in the saddle.

Decent enough talent is present in the event, but only the lightly-weighted Tracking chestnut four-year-old filly Sweet Trail looks certain to be closest to the son of Proud Accolade at the business end of the event, having herself recorded a better time of 1:19.1 over the distance on debut as a four-year-old on the New Year's Day programme.

Maintaining good racing form since mid-December in never being less than third, with one win in between, Sweet Trail — trained by Patrick Chang for owners Arscott Farm — is well handicapped in the race with a 5.0kg advantage against Blast Them Away, who comes in at 55.0kg top weight.

Lightweight jockey Paul Francis, who missed winning the 2010 Jockeys' Championship by a single win, has been called upon by trainer Chang to replace non-claiming apprentice Aaron Chatrie in the saddle.

The Guardian, a former stablemate of the favourite, ridden by Shane Ellis; Burning Cielo, ridden by Richard Mairs, and Don George, the mount of Chatrie, can also be expected to run well enough to cause hairs to raise.