Winners’ comments…Winners’ comments…Winners’ comments
Homecoming, trained by Steven Todd and ridden by Anthony Thomas, won the second race over 1,600 metres. After the race Thomas said: “This race was pretty much wide open so any horse could win. The instructions from the trainer were to get a good break, don’t rush her too much early, save everything for the stretch run and just ride her for the last two furlongs. That was what I did and we won.”
The Clifford Atkinson Snr – owned and trained Zeus, under Hakeem Pottinger, won the third over 1,100 metres. Pottinger said: “He trained pretty well coming into the race and given the nature of the event and the scratch of Pizarro, I was confident in getting the job done. I got a perfect run on the inside rails turning for home and we just ran away with the race.”
With Javaniel Patterson riding, Traditional Storm rallied against the inside rails to win the fourth race over 1,300 metres. Patterson said: “This horse can fight. I thought when the field went by us we lost the race but he showed determination and guts and fought back to win the race. I am happy as we did a good job.”
Dinner By Seven, trained by Steven Todd and ridden by Jevvanne Erwin, won the fifth race over 1,000 metres straight. Erwin said: “To be honest, the race wasn’t difficult. We got a good break and when I asked her to run she just went on home.”
King D, under Welsey Henry, easily brushed aside rivals to win the sixth race over 1,100 metres. Henry said: “King D was a five-star bank. Nothing was really outstanding in the race to beat us. From the start, the race was pretty much over as we had a comfortable lead coming into the lane and from there it was just smooth sailing.”
Dane Dawkins, who rode Elvira to victory in the seventh race over 1,000 metres straight, said: “Coming into the last furlong and a half, I saw the horses ( Fiftyonestorm and Star Of David) under the stand side were not really going anywhere, so I just up my work and we came home.”
Puddy Pooh cruised home easily in the ninth race over 1,600 metres under Odean Edwards for trainer Richard Azan. Edwards said after the race: “She ran an excellent race, just wonderful how she destroyed the field by a wide margin. She has speed, so I just had to be relaxed on the lead and the way she was going fast, the rest of the field were like five lengths behind us.
— Compiled by Ruddy Allen