Mahogany serves scintillating display of sprinting
Three-year-old breezes 1:16.1 for 6 1/2 furlongs
After a disappointing Classic season when he was mainly beaten by the distance and sometimes a wet track, three-year-old chestnut gelding Mahogany, running over a more suitable trip of six-and-a-half furlongs (1,300m) on a dry surface, decimated a good field including two Classic winners in the top-rated Open Allowance/graded Stakes event at Caymanas Park yesterday.
With the weekend of racing dubbed the Summit of Speed, Mahogany, after the starter pressed the button to signal the start of the race, the 11th of 11, shot into the lead at the six-furlong (1,200m) point ahead of Jamai Raja (Devon A Thomas), God of Love (Oshane Nugent) and Truly Amazing (Dane Nelson).
Mahogany maintained a fast gallop down the backstretch and kicked into high gear at the top of the stretch with ultimate easy, sprinting home to an emphatic 6 length victory over St Leger winner Nipster, the top-weighted Sentient and
Jamaica Derby winner King Arthur in the three-year-old and upwards contest.
Trained by Ian Parsard and ridden by Dane Dawkins, Mahogany (Sensational Slam
– Mete-orite) ran the distance in a blistering 1:16.1 with splits of 23.0 x 45.0 x 1:09.0. The final time was just three-fifths of a second outside of the track record of 1:15.3 done by Eros in 1993.
Mahogany was registering his sixth victory from 11 career starts.
It was the second winner on the 11-race programme for Dawkins as he earlier won aboard two-year-old Nuclear Noon for trainer Gary Subtraie in the $1.15-million Royal Lancaster Trophy feature over five-furlongs (1,000m) round. Nuclear Noon won by 6 ¾ lengths ahead of Regal and Royal and Alimony in time of 59.1.
Also with two winners on the day were were trainer Anthony Nunes, jockeys Omar Walker and Dane Nelson and groom Tefara Wright.
Nunes, Nelson and Wright teamed up with Enuffisenuff to win the eighth race and Secret Traveller in the ninth race. Walker winners were Highly Bless in the opening event for trainer Victor Williams and Solid Approach for trainer Robert Pearson in the sixth race.
Racing continues today with the Dye Job Sprint being listed on the nine-race programme as the feature event.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (CMC) — In-form Jermaine Blackwood stroked a typically fearless half-century, but yet another West Indies batting collapse left the beleaguered Caribbean side already facing an uphill battle to save the second Test at the Basin Reserve here yesterday.
Replying to New Zealand’s imposing 460 all out, West Indies crumbled to 124 for eight at the close of day two, still 336 runs behind and needing a further 137 runs to avoid the follow on.
Blackwood’s 69 was the only bright spark in an innings wrecked by gangling rookie speedster Kyle Jamieson who finished with five for 34 — his second five-wicket haul in his fourth Test.
Veteran seamer Tim Southee claimed three for 29, providing the early breakthroughs which rocked the Windies after they failed to navigate a difficult 1-½ hour period before tea.
Henry Nicholls had earlier lashed a career-best 174 as New Zealand, resuming from their overnight 294 for six, dominated West Indies to post another daunting total before being dismissed about 20 minutes after lunch.
The left-hander, unbeaten on 117 at the start, faced 280 deliveries in just over seven hours, striking 21 fours and one six to eclipse his previous best of 162 two years ago against Sri Lanka in Christchurch.
He extended his overnight seventh wicket stand with Jamieson (20) to exactly 50 and when fast bowler Alzarri Joseph (3-109) produced two quick strikes during the first session, combined with Neil Wagner in a 95-run, ninth wicket stand to deflate West Indies.
Wagner was irrepressible for his part, belting eight fours and fours sixes in an entertaining 42-ball unbeaten 66 which energised the back end of the Black Caps innings.
West Indies had only themselves to blame, however, as they let off Wagner twice. Chemar Holder dropped him on 20 at fine leg off fast bowler Shannon Gabriel and Roston Chase then let him off in the same position on 21, off the first ball of the next over from Joseph.
The chances were two of three that went abegging in the first session, John Campbell putting down Jamieson on 15 at slip off seamer Jason Holder approaching the first hour of play.
Jamieson, on one at the start, eventually perished to the third ball of the drinks break, taken at second slip by Jason Holder off Joseph who then removed Southee four overs later, playing on for 11.
But any hopes Windies had of running