The trend of major races being decided in the stewards’ room continued on Saturday when Henry The Second (Dick Cardenas), after passing the post in first position was disqualified and the Lotto Classic for the Governor’s Cup awarded to the Richard Azan-trained Market Force ridden by Shane Ellis.

Market Force’s eventual victory in the Lotto Classic follows closely on the disqualification of

Future King in last year’s Derby and

Franfield’s ousting from the winners’ spot in the 2016 Superstakes.The Lotto Classic (10-furlongs – 2,000) as predicted provided many answers and punters are now in a much better position to make their choices for the big one, the Jamaica Derby in late June.The

Complete Racing Guide analyses the performances of the 13 horses who took part in the Lotto Classic for the Governor’s Cup. 

FIRST:

Market Force – Trainer Richard Azan was somewhat vindicated in his decision to go four kilogrammes overweight to secure the services of jockey Shane Ellis. Ellis watched proceedings and moved exactly when

Fearless Samurai made his surge leaving the half mile.

Market Force galloped quite resolutely in the straight but found

Henry The Second too hot to handle in the final dig. Given the fact that

Market Force went four kilogrammes (app nine lb) overweight, it was a truly remarkable run, with or without the intervention of the stewards.

Market Force will have no problems getting the 12-furlongs (2,400m) of the Jamaica Derby. Another rousing triumph for Azan, who continues to demonstrate his knack of producing big race winners.

Market Force who is lightly raced, with the Lotto Classic run being his fourth career start, still has tremendous scope for improvement and for sure, Azan will find his talent. A good run with a lot of luck.

Market Force, after allowing

Henry the Second four kilogrammes in the Lotto Classic, is now the warm Derby favourite where all colts and geldings will carry 126 lbs (57.0 kgm). 

SECOND:

Henry The Second – Running for only the fifth time,

Henry The Second ran the race of his life. As a non-winner of two races,

Henry The Second, was brought to the wicket in tip-top shape by his trainer, Ian Parsard. Parsard had to overcome niggling health issues over many months, which restricted

Henry The Second’s overall race-time this season to only his maiden win on April 22. Yet, Parsard was able, with a smidgen of assistance from the handicaps, to produce

Henry The Second for an all-conquering run in the Lotto Classic. Jockey Dick Cardenas, brought in specially to ride

Henry The Second, played the waiting game and with the distance never a factor for consideration,

Henry The Second stormed home in the home-stretch to catch and beat everyone, except the stewards. In the end, it was the mighty hand of fate which intervened to remove what would have been a glorious and well-deserved win by

Henry The Second.

Henry The Second stays, he has class on the track and class written in his bloodline (

Miracle Man –

Rebridled Secret). Parsard and

Henry The Second now enter the Jamaica Derby which is two furlongs (400m) longer than the Lotto Classic with an oversupply of confidence but without the benefits of being allowed weight. This is not going to be a problem though, as

Henry The Second is well equipped to land the grandest prize of all. Well done! 

THIRD:

Fearless Samurai — The Lotto Classic confirmed that

Fearless Samurai is not a true stayer. Notwithstanding,

Fearless Samurai, who allowed approximately seven lb (3.0 kgs) to

Market Force and approximately 15 lbs (7 kgs) to

Henry The Second, ran a gallant race with his undoing being his inability to truly get 10 furlongs. At level weights in the Derby, there is absolutely no doubt that

Fearless Samurai will have a good chance of winning, exept for the two extra furlongs he will have to travel. An argument could be made that his rider in the Lotto Classic, Omar Walker was a bit anxious, when moving just after passing the half mile, but even with that as a minor consideration,

Fearless Samurai would have been hard-pressed to deliver on the day. The connections of

Fearless Samurai should not be disheartened as he ran his best and was eventually outdone by the distance and the handicaps. In the end,

Fearless Samurai was only two and three parts of a length behind first and second. 

FOURTH:

Sotomayor — The travails of the champion two-year-old continue. Again,

Sotomayor was not able to be anywhere near the leaders and when he came with his customary late offering, he was never really a threat to the top three in whichever order chosen or given. Yet hope always springs eternal, because as stated so many times before, the longer they go the better it is for

Sotomayor. With approximately five weeks to go before the Jamaica Derby in late June, trained Anthony Nunes still has the time to inject renewed vigour into

Sotomayor, who is still without a victory in 2017. Every inch of the Jamaica Derby (12-furlongs – 2,400m) is going to suit

Sotomayor and with the right mindset can be a major factor in the outcome of the Blue Riband event. Time, however, is always the master and being the choice of the

Complete Racing Guide to win the Lotto Classic, giving up on

Sotomayor, even now, is not on the cards. 

FIFTH:

Uncle Vinnie — It was known before the Lotto Classic that

Uncle Vinnie would not be perturbed by the distance.

Uncle Vinnie did the best he could have giving the circumstance of going overweight to accommodate, apprentice Bebeto Harvey. 

SIXTH:

SILENCE — A credit to his trainer Gary Griffiths who has been having quite a productive and maybe defining 2017 thus far. Quietly,

Silence earned his keep in the Lotto Classic. 

SEVENTH:

Don Chassis — Was never expected to do much and so said, so done. 

EIGHTH:

SECRET TRAVELLER — Tried his best but was never part of the race. 

NINTH:

PAPER CHASER — The only filly in the Lotto Classic who showed very little throughout the 10-furlongs of this three-year-old Futurity.

Paper Chaser was expected to provide a burst in the straight but even that did not materialise. It was a dour run by the filly and even the late change of rider from Jerome Innis to Oneil Scott cannot be used as an excuse. Poor run. 

TENTH:

Subbie — Was not expected to be around during crunch time and true to form,

Subbie was never a winning factor. 

ELEVENTH:

Western Warrior — Showed up briefly during the first three furlongs but his run petered out badly. This was totally unexpected as while not seen as a potential winner,

Western Warrior based on his previous run over the distance of the Lotto Classic was given a fair shot at earning. This expectation proved to be false. 

TWELFTH:

E J Makit — One could say that

E J Makit did his very best. 

LATE NON-STARTER:

Radical — Was badly injured in the starting gates and took no part in the Lotto Classic. Subsequent checks have revealed that

Radical’s injuries are quite significant and as a result will be out of racing for a while. A most unlucky situation for the connections.