OLDSTERS COME TO PARTY

While the emphasis at this time is quite rightly centred on the three-year-olds and their participation in the Classic races, the oldsters are still playing their part.The second race on Saturday saw

Meru, now at the ripe age of nine years, with jockey Orlando Foster win convincingly over the five straight (1,000m) course.

Meru, a dark brown gelding by

Traditional –

Melody’s Slasher, was racing for the 49th time and was recording his 12th win. The win on Saturday brought his tally of earnings to just over the $5-million mark. Well done, trainer Victor Williams.Then came the fourth race and a fight to the wire involving the two top riders in the land, Omar Walker, the champion jockey on

Red Parrot, and Robert Halledeen on

Bigbrowngreyhope. This time it was Halledeen on

Bigbrowngreyhope who got the nose in front for a sparking win going seven furlongs (1,400m).

Bigbrowngreyhope, a seven-year-old grey gelding, was winning the seventh race of his lifetime from 38 starts. Trainer Marlon Anderson, based on his after-celebrations, was a very happy man.The seventh race saw a devastating stretch burst from

Scoop Jordyne under the guidance of in form jockey, Jevvanne Erwin. It was really a delight to witness the eight-year-old bay gelding win his sixth-ever race from 55 starts. A proud moment for trainer Gregory Forsyth. 

NINE HORSES CLAIMED ON SATURDAYNine horses were claimed on the 10-race programme at Caymanas Park last Saturday.

Meru, who won the second race, was taken from Victor Williams by Randolph Scott for Rupert Gayle for $180,000.Victor Williams claimed

Sundance from Robert Darby Sr for DSTL & Associates for $250,000; Norman Palmer lost

Speedy Process for $250,000 to Errol Pottinger for Zelmuna; the Marlon Anderson-trained

Bigbrowngreyhope was claimed for $250,000 by Fernando Geddes for Proper Fix Syndicate; Anthony Smith took

Legendary Pleasure from Wilfred Chin for Byron Brown for $250,000; and Lawrence Freemantle claimed

Red Parrot from Paul Smith for Randall Shaw for $250,000 from the fourth race.In the seventh race,

Perfect Asset was claimed from Ryan Darby by Renex Burrell, acting as both trainer and owner;

Hologram Shadow was claimed from Johnny Wilmot by Michael McIntosh for himself; and

Zackontheattack was claimed from Phillip Thompson by Roy Mathews for Ven Deezle. All those claims were made for $450,000. 

THOSE FIRST-TIME WINNERSThree horses,

E J Makit,

Empress Cheyenne and

Party Princess were able to win their first race at Caymanas Park on Saturday.After finishing third and second in his last two races,

E J Makit went one better and got the job done in emphatic fashion, winning by eight lengths over

Blood Song with

Classic Man third.

E J Makit was ridden by Oneil Mullings and is trained by Delroy Wisdom.

Party Princess provided resurgent veteran trainer Joseph Thomas with another winner.

Party Princess, benefiting from the skills of apprentice Dane Dawkins, was an easy winner over seven furlongs (1,400m) in a four-year-old maiden event.

Party Princess won by four lengths.It was then the turn of the Patrick Fong-trained

Empress Cheyenne, who began her racing career in September of last year

. Empress Cheyenne, racing for the first time with the tongue tie on, was enterprisingly handled by apprentice Anthony Thomas and got the better of

Vice Royalty and

Nuclear Train.

Empress Cheyenne was the longest odds winner on the day — 12-1. 

OMAR WALKER CONTINUES TO DOMINATEChampion jockey Omar Walker continues to bring home the winners. On Saturday, Walker was aboard two winners,

Dragline for trainer Ian Parsard and

A Thousand Stars for trainer Wayne DaCosta.Walker has now moved on to 38 winners, 17 more than Dane Nelson in second place. Nelson is currently riding in Canada and is expected to return to the local track in September.Third in the championship is Robert Halledeen who added one winner to his tally on Saturday, bringing home

Bigbrowngreyhope for trainer Marlon Anderson for a total of 19 winners.After a bad start to the season, Shane Ellis is more than on the mend, as he is now in fourth position on the championship table with 17 winners. Ellis rode one winner on Saturday,

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