In a pulsating start to the much-anticipated two-year-old season, Georgina Sergeon on Love Train (3-1) defied odds to win the first race in this category for 2014.

In an emotional event, Sergeon who did not use her whip, had to dig in hard to beat another outsider, Gold Screw (7-2), with Andre Martin in the saddle and Lady Danza (9-5) with the mount of Robert Stewart in third, clocking 25:0 second in the 400-metre event at Caymanas Park yesterday.

“I deliberately didn’t use my whip because not all two-year-olds running for the first time like the whipping, so I just rode her (Love Train) with my bare hands and I thought that was the key to my victory,” the smiling Sergeon said in the winners’ enclosure.

Love Train broke well form the gate and was held in second place by Sergeon on the inside of Gold Screw. After a superb 100-metre run, the medium-built filly got up in time for an emphatic victory giving Sergeon her first winner since returning from injuries in February of this year.

“It feels good to have won my first race since my injuries, I am just excited to be back in the winners’ enclosure. I have been working so hard in the mornings and I’m happy that it finally paid off,” Sergeon told the Jamaica Observer.

Love Train is a chestnut filly by Burning Marque-Trial Rider by Hesabull, owned and trained by Harry Parsard and is bred by Roger Newman, Mark and Susan Wates. The connections pocketed $390,000 as the winner’s share.

Meanwhile, the highest class event on the 10-race programme, an Overnight Allowance event for three-year-olds and upwards over 1,820 metres, was won in fine style by Military Move (Winston Griffiths up) in a fast time of 1:57:1 minutes. Miss Boss Lady (Aaron Chatrie up) was second and Raging Prospect, the mount of Ruja Lahoe, third.

Racing continues on Wednesday with the running of the CTL Exercise Riders’ race over 800 metres.