New apprentices light up the Park, ride five of 10 winners
To say that the new batch of 17 apprentices got off to a dream start in their professional riding career would be an understatement.
On Saturday, three of the lot that secured rides following their recent graduation from the Jamaica Racing Commission’s Training School – Linton Steadman, Odeen Edwards and Hakeen Pottinger – all rode winners, with the first two riding two winners each.
Steadman not only won the first race of his career in front of an enthusiastic crowd, but also became the first of his batch to do so and in a Cup race as well.
Steadman guided the Wayne DaCosta-trained Vision to a come-from-behind victory in the $850,000 Keeling Memorial Cup for native-bred two-year-olds over 1,100 metres.
Racing in fourth position in the six-horse field for most of the way, Vision (He’stherealthing – Money Spinner) then responded well from the urgings of Steadman turning for home and came with an electrifying run in deep stretch to beat stable companion Dreamliner (Robert Halledeen), going away by one-and-a-quarter lengths in 1:08:1 minutes.
“I feel thankful and happy for this win. It is a wonderful feeling as I always back myself to do good when I get on a horse’s back. It’s hard to explain, because when you build something up for so long and try to reach a goal and it finally comes, it’s unbelievable,” Steadman told the Complete Racing Guide.
“The plan was to sit behind the speed like in third or fourth place and turning for home, just ask him for everything and he won and I am grateful for the opportunity,” he said.
DaCosta said that Steadman did a good job the first time of asking in an official race.
“Good ride from a first-time apprentice in the big league and he did a very good job. He won a couple of races in the apprentice races, so he knows what it takes,” DaCosta said.
The 25-year-old Steadman then put the icing on the cake when he completed his double aboard Sir D in the final event over 1,000 metres straight.
“This was probably the best feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. I just want the best for myself; coming out early in the mornings and getting the job done so that on afternoons like this, I can win races,” the Waterford High School graduate noted.
