Blast Them Away lands King’s Plate feature
Cheeky imported colt Blast Them Away won the seventh running of the $1,000,000 King’s Plate Open Allowance, three-year-old upward feature by 1 1/2 lengths at Caymanas Park ob Saturday to continue his unbeaten run.
Owned by Robert K Thomas and trained by champion and leading trainer Wayne DaCosta, the 3-5 favourite ran 1500 metres in 1:32.1 to register his third win as a three-year-old and eighth overall from as many starts.
Ridden by leading jockey Dane Nelson, Blast Them Away demonstrated he is a smart one in the making as he responded gallantly to a vigourous to repel the challenge of Reasonable Press who had to be contented with a second ridden by champion jockey Dick Cardenas as the 2-1 second favourite.
Right Marker, also favoured to win, ran industriously to show at odds of 4-1, ridden by Paul Francis, while the 99-1 chance Von Almighty, partnered by claiming apprentice Jodeien Anderson, completed the frame in the field of 11.
Twelve runners were originally declared, but Only Begotten Son was declared a late non-runner.
Trainer DaCosta was not surprised by the victory going 1500m for the first time.
“He showed on his last run that although bred along sprinting lines, he has ability and will be able to get the distance. And he came and justified the belief with an excellent performance which demonstrated that he is among one of the best horses in training at present.”
Nelson added: “At no time in the race I felt threatened. He is a horse with a big heart with good ability.”
A son of Proud Accolade out of Evita Villa (Forrest Wildcat) and bred by Woodsfield Farm in the USA, Blast Them Away, who was winning his eighth consecutive race, pocketed $546,000 as the winner’s share for a bankroll of $3,274,150 lifetime.
DaCosta was the leading trainer with two wins, while Nelson and Cardenas shared riding honours with three wins each. Nelson’s other wins were Mr Skill for Lawrence Freemantle in the second race and Soca Party in the eighth also for DaCosta.
Cardenas had the leg up on Lady McBeth for trainer Gary Subratie in the first, Ashes To Ashes for Joseph Thomas in the third and Marine Drive for trainer Anthony Nunes in the fourth.
