On time triple by Anthony Thomas

After landing a working double at the races last Saturday, champion jockey Anthony Thomas had an even better day in the saddle on Wednesday, as this time the St Mary native completed a three-timer on the 10-race programme.

Thomas rode Court Call to a 1 ¼ length win in the second race – an Optional Claiming ($250,000-$200,000) event over 7 ½ furlongs (1,500m).

Trained by Nicholas Smith, Court Call after sitting off the pace for most of the way, surrounded horses and surged to the lead turning for home and held it there to the wire. Also Correct (Christopher Mamdeen) was second and Bay Commander (Phillip Parchment) third in a final time of 1:37.0.

Thomas got his second win in the next race, also an Optional Claiming ($350,000-$300,000) event over 7 furlongs (1,400m) aboard the Ralph Roberts-trained Luana. Luana got to the winning post 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Major Force (Daniel Satchell) and Top Eagle (Tevin Foster). The final time was 1:30.0.

The “champ” then got this third winner when he steered Aurelia’s Summer to victory in a Restricted Allowance event going down the five straight (1,000m) course. Aurelia’s Summer, after dispatching of Forest Rose (Phillip Parchment) inside the final furlong (200m) had to hold off Willodeen (Dane Nelson) for the victory.

“I have to give thanks for the support and winners today (Wednesday). The connections of the horses placed their trust in me and I am happy that I could deliver for them. I got four rides, I won three and came third once, so I must be happy.

‘I started off the year very slow but I never gave up. I continued to work hard in the mornings and I still have the confidence in myself to do well. I hope that that more winners will be coming and I will continue to do the hard work,” Thomas told The Supreme Racing Guide.

With those winners, Thomas took his tally to 14 wins for this season which took him to fifth position in the jockeys’ standings – 10 behind leader Omar Walker, who is on 24 after his victory aboard Stranger Danger. Christopher Mamdeen, who rode Phenom to victory in the first race, Lady In The Arena in the eighth, Key Witness in the ninth and Just Trick Me in the night-pan for a four-timer is in second place on 21 wins with Dane Nelson (16) in third and Reyan Lewis fourth on 15 winners.

Roderick DaCosta finds the winners’ enclosure

Jamaican jockey Roderick DaCosta, who recently returned to Caymanas Park from riding in Canada, found himself in the winners’ enclosure for the first-time since returning home and his 304th overall on local soil when he piloted Ridewiththemob to victory in the sixth race. This was DaCosta first local winner since 2011.

Trained by Fitzgerald Richards, Ridewiththemob just held on by a short head from the Carl Anderson’s pair of Obsession (Kiaman McGregor) and Perfect Union (Christopher Mamdeen).

DaCosta broke Ridewiththemob in second position behind the early leader Alexa’s Star (Reyan Lewis). However, passing the six-furlong (1,200m) marker on the course, Ridewiththemob eased into third and watched as Secret Law (Romario Smith) took on Alexa’s Star on the front end.

Turning for home, Ridewiththemob came up to join Alexa’s Star after Secret Law dropped back and with the momentum going Ridewiththemob’s way, the chestnut gelding drew clear of rivals.

DaCosta, who left the island yesterday for Canada, said that he was grateful for win.

“Wow, what can I say more than just I am happy that I could win a race before leaving for Canada. I am happy with the win and the horse performed well. I must, however, say thank you to the trainer for the ride and I am happy that I got the job done.

“Thanks everyone for their support and encouragement since I am here. Until I return again, thank you all for the welcome and I am leaving a happy man,” DaCosta stated in his post-race interview.

Since he began riding in Canada in 1992, DaCosta has so far ridden 241 winners, with 213 second-place finishes and 216 thirds from 1,650 mounts with earnings of CAN$2,768,868.

DaCosta’s most successful year while riding in Canada came in 2007 when he rode 35 winners from 208 starts earning CAN$322,325, surpassing the previous year where he won 33 races from 176 rides with earnings of CAN$406,406.

Six horses claimed

Six horses were claimed on the 10-race mid-week programme at Caymanas Park.

In the second race, Bay Commander was claimed for $250,000 from Dennis Pryce by Lawrence Freemantle for owner Ajax Bjorn, while Also Correct was taken from Gary Griffiths for $250,000 by Everal Francis for owner Huntley Beckford.

Joseph Thomas claimed Foot Soldier for owner Big Dee Racing Stables from Rudolph Hardial; Errol Waugh claimed Luana for owner New Money Connection from Ralph Roberts and Ray Phillips claimed Top Eagle for owner Kevin Whitter from Anthony Dixon from the third race.

In the fourth race, Randall Scott claimed Reign Over All for owner Dennis Thwaites from Johnny Wilmot for $180,000.

Trainers Ralph Roberts, Anthony Ferguson, Ray Phillips notch first winners in 2019

Trainers Ralph Roberts Anthony Ferguson and Ray Phillips, who have all been finding it rather difficult to locate winners this season, notched their first wins in the new racing year on the mid-week programme on Wednesday.

Roberts won with his four-year-old bay filly Luana in the third race, Ferguson with Awesome Cat in the fourth and Phillips in the eighth race with Lady In The Arena.

Going over 7 furlongs (1,400m) in the Optional Claiming ($350,000-$300,000) event, Luana, ridden by Anthony Thomas, defeated rivals by 1 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:30.0.

Luana broke in fourth after the gates opened behind leader Major Force (Daniel Satchell), Foot Soldier (Reyan Lewis) and Perfect Asset (Omar Walker). Luana then moved into third position at the half-mile (800m) before claiming second spot turning for home behind Major Force.

Although drifting in deep stretch, Luana surged to the lead with 1 ½ furlongs (300m) to go and held it to the wire. Major Force was second and Top Eagle (Tevin Foster) third.

Apprentice in training Marshall Porter, came from behind on Awesome Cat to beat Song On Track (Jawara Steadman) by 1 ¼ length over four furlongs (800m) straight. Two Steps Up (Youville Pinnock) finished third. The winning time for four furlongs was 48.0.

“Once this horse is fit and healthy, he is going to run and run well. The rider rode to instructions and I am pleased with the effort. The horse to beat in the race was Song On Track and we have beaten him before, so we were confident that we were going to win,’ Ferguson said after his triumph.

Lady In The Arena was unable to go with the leaders and had to settle among the backmarkers. From the half-mile (800m), Lady Exotic (Reyan Lewis) and Lady Carmen (Raddesh Roman) distanced themselves from the field in a battle of their own.

Turning for home, Lady Exotic and Lady Carmen were still looking strong but Christopher Mamdeen produced Lady In The Arena in deep stretch and the mare got up in time to beat Twilight Eruption (Tevin Foster) in the Restricted Allowance event over 5 ½ furlongs (1,100m). The final time was 1:09.1.

British training legend Henderson bids to end 40 years in National wilderness

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Nicky Henderson concedes it would mean “a heck of a lot” if Valtor were to finally win the Grand National tomorrow (Saturday), four decades to the day his first contender in the world’s greatest steeplechase finished second.

Zongalero was one of two runners-up in the Liverpool spectacle in 1979 that has proved frustratingly elusive for the five-time British champion jumps trainer.

Valtor will be his 43rd attempt at cracking the four-and-a-quarter mile marathon.

In contrast to his National drought the urbane 68-year-old Englishman has won a record seven Champion Hurdles and a joint-record six Queen Mother Champion Chases.

He told AFP he would feel something was missing if he retired without ticking that box.

“I am a long way from being retired,” he chuckled. “But winning the race would mean a heck of a lot. I would dearly love to.

“It is the greatest steeplechase in the world after all.”

Henderson, who opted against following his father’s career path of being a stockbroker to pursue his love of ‘The Sport of Kings’, rates the French-bred Valtor’s chances of being the one to realise his dream as no better than each way.

He has no doubts about his contender’s ability, but is concerned about the weight.

Valtor is second top weight in the 40-runner field more even than last year’s winner and clear favourite Tiger Roll.

“He has a touch of class of that there is no doubt, and why he came to me was to be aimed at the National,” said Henderson.

“But he has got too much weight. He is a tiny horse, courageous and a good jumper who will like the ground but carrying that weight is a heck of a burden.”

Henderson says he rather regrets Valtor’s explosive English racecourse debut at Ascot in late December.

He made a mockery of his odds of 33/1 to storm home by eight lengths but that only alerted the handicapper when it came to his assessment of the National field.

“I rather wish Ascot had not happened!” he said.

“It would have been much more fun if he had kept that performance for Saturday (tomorrow).

“Still one should not be so pessimistic, he has been jumping the National fences at home in pleasing fashion and I hope he takes to the real things in the heat of battle with equal panache.

“I would rate him an each-way chance (finishing in the first four).”

Valtor means someone who is ‘a deep thinker, idealistic or studious’, qualities in a horse perhaps that are not best suited to the brutal course at Aintree.

“Those adjectives do not apply to his trainer,” laughed Henderson.

“He is a bit like that but I do not think that will necessarily count against him.”