Potcheen lands midweek feature
With no designated trophy race being offered, the Harry Parsard-trained Potcheen took the spotlight by romping home in the top-rated Open Allowance event on the 10-race midweek programme at Caymanas Park yesterday.
After racing among the back markers behind
Royal Assault,Smokey Topaz andPuddy Pooh for most of the way,Potcheen, the 2014 champion sprinter, under jockey Jevvanne Erwin, unleashed a strong turn of foot in the last half furlong to beat the talented fillyPuddy Pooh under Odean Edwards by one half-length in the three-year-olds and upward event over 1,000 metres straight.
The long-time leader
Royal Assualt, who was ridden by Paul ‘Country’ Francis, managed to finish third ahead of another speedy colt,Somkey Topaz, the mount of Dane Nelson, in the small field of six runners asTaranis was earlier announced as a late non-starter due to lameness.
The winning time for the distance was a quick 57.2 seconds behind cracking splits of 22:2 and 44:3 seconds.
“The plan was to get a good break, stay as close as much to the leaders, and just ride him for the last two furlongs; and that paid off for us today (yesterday),” Erwin told the
Jamaica Observer.
Potcheen, a seven-year-old bay gelding byTraditional – Bubble Gum Hottie byHermitage, is bred by Percival Tomlinson and owned by Curragh Jamaica Agency.