Top Shelf’s fighting win in a maiden special weight on Saturday, forced the eyes of trainer Patrick Fong to look towards the first leg in the two-year-old ‘Triple Crown’ series – Cash Pot “Only One For Me” Trophy set for September 29, 2018.

Two-year-old ‘Triple Crown’ series is sponsored by Supreme Ventures Limited.

Ridden by Hakeem Pottinger, T op Shelf ( Soul Warrior – First Choice), after leading comfortable coming into the lane, had to fight off the challenge from Sweet Like Sugar (Omar Walker) by half-a-length. Top Shelf covered five furlongs (1,000m) round in a good 1:00.4.

“I am thinking about the Cash Pot “Only One For Me” Trophy. I don’t say I must run in it though but I am thinking about going there. Top Shelf, I think will get a distance of ground better than he sprints to me and I think that is a plus going forward,” Fong stated.

Free Addi (Devon A Thomas) was ridden up to take the lead leaving the starting gates but after a couple of strides, Top Shelf took over in front running the half-mile (800m) turn.

Sweet Like Sugar went in chase of Top Shelf and eventually drew alongside coming into the lane. The two had a brief battle but Top Shelf, on the inside rails, responded well to the urgings of Pottinger and edged away for an emphatic win.

Sweet Like Sugar was gamed in second with Rohan Kabir (Shane Ellis) coming from far behind for third place.

“Well, the performance was all right. Not great but alright. The plan going into the race was to get a good break from the off and I told the jockey that if he finds himself on the lead, stay there, if he did not just sit as close as possible but when you leaving the three furlongs he must give the new horses some work to do and that was what he did,” Fong said.