Veteran Rules By Secrecy in McKenzie Memorial
FIFTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD veteran jockey Vassel Najair combined with second-season trainer Leroy Biggs to post tardy starter and 21-1 chance Rule By Secrecy to a rousing upset win in the $492,000 Alty McKenzie Memorial Cup feature at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Plagued by a tardy gate habit, Rule By Secrecy shot through the field piston-like inside the final 200 metres after recovering from an erratic start to go on to win in tear away fashion from the 8-5 favourite Il Caimano, the mount of Devon A Thomas, by 8 1/2 lengths among $350,000 – $300,000 claimers three-year-olds upward and native-bred five-year-olds upward (NW4). Ten ran.
The six-year-old gelding ran 1,600 metres in a time of 1:42.0 to open his winning account for the season from 18 starts and presented trainer Biggs with his second career win.
It was a win well timed as even though outpaced by a frenetic tempo set by the 9-5 bet Quiet Knight with Omar Walker astride and Passa Passa with Rayan Wilson in the saddle jockey, Najair said that he was in no hurry.
“I know the quality of horse I was riding. I was just biding time to make my move and I held him together for that final burst,” said Najair, adding that he knew he had the race won “from the 5/8 pole”.
Classy Company, well supported at odds of 7-2, was himself a ragged starter from barrier #1 under Dick Cardenas, but was rushed through to be in the early shake up.
Classy Company, by the manner of her recovery, looked to well prepared for the event but seemed to pay the penalty for such a move.
So much so that when Rule By Secrecy burst through the pack with his crippling run, there was not much that the four-year-old bay filly could offer by way of competition in the stretch drive and just plodded on to eventually finish third another 1 3/4 lengths back.
Neglected in the betting, Cajun Fiddler was always well placed in mid-pack, but never really threatened and completed the frame as a 22-1 bet ridden by the 4.0kg claiming apprentice Michael Grant.
Owned by A&S RacingStables, Rule By Secrecy, a chestnut gelding by Pat N Jac out of Lavalier (Premiership) and bred by Roylton D’Cambre, was winning for the sixth time from 53 career starts. He earned $268.950 as the winner’s share for earnings of $2,637,300 lifetime.
