DaCosta, Parchment strike with long-shot Uncle Frank
CHAMPION TRAINER Wayne DaCosta and jockey Philip Parchment sprung another surprise yesterday, following their Jamaica Oaks victory last Saturday, combining to strike with UNCLE FRANK at odds of 13-1, crashing bets in the night pan of the marathon 13-race card.
One of four runners for DaCosta in the 16-horse field, UNCLE FRANK missed the break from postposition six but got an open run along the rail, pushed by Parchment for three furlongs to almost catch up with the leaders, his stablemate, MADAM SECRETARY, and MY SISTER, at the half-mile marker.
The pace quickened with LOTTERY TICKET and even-money favourite SARATOGA SIGHT moving as a team, three- and four-wide, attacking the leaders approaching the home turn.
UNCLE FRANK fell back to sixth but still held the rail and was hard ridden into the straight while SARATOGA SIGHT and LOTTERY TICKET bumped into each other while launching their respective challenges on MY SISTER and MADAM SECRETARY, coming off the turn.
Driven by Parchment, UNCLE FRANK bored through along the rail, a furlong out, to run past MY SISTER while SARATOGA SIGHT and LOTTERY TICKET, their bumping match, joined by MY ELLE BELLE, who was later disqualified after passing the post second, her position awarded to BRUCE WAYNE and third given to fourth-past-the-post MY SISTER.
Leading rider, apprentice Christopher Mamdeen and his batchmate, Reyan Lewis, each rode
three-timers, securing the top-two positions in the jockeys’ standings.
Mamdeen moved to 35 winners, four ahead of Lewis, who started the day joint second on 28 with six-time former champion Omar Walker before taking his tally to 31 with victory astride 3-5 favourite NUCLEAR LAVA in the eighth event at nine furlongs and 25 yards.
HOT APPRENTICES DOMINATED
The hot apprentices dominated the marathon 13-race card, laying siege to six of the first nine events, starting with the opener, which Mamdeen won aboard 3-5 favourite PRINCE SAMMO at five furlongs straight.
Lewis responded by landing the third and fourth races with CUE THREE and WAR HERO, respectively, stalking the pace in both races before swooping down on leaders approaching the home turn.
Mamdeen was almost unseated at the gate in the seventh, astride 4-5 favourite, VIRTUOSO, before recovering down the backstretch to split leaders BLUSIE and MISS ELAINE, eventually sprinting clear to beat MS MYRTLE RICH IE GIRL.
The apprentices closed their respective three-timers in consecutive races, Lewis cool as a cucumber aboard course-specialist NUCLEAR LAVA, taking over from JACKO LINKS at the top of the lane to win her third race at nine furlongs and 25 yards in the eighth.
In the ninth, Mamdeen prompted the pace with CHIEF OF STATE before taking over from NUCLEAR THUNDER and POLLY FLYER three furlongs out to run away from rivals in the straight at odds of 9-5.