Five-star general Thomas highlights shortened race meet

Jockey Anthony “St Mary” Thomas had himself a day to remember at the races at caymanas Park yesterday after the former champion and leading rider survived a spill to win five races from seven mounts before the final event on the nine-race card was abandoned due to inclement weather.

Thomas opened the programme with the Steven Toddtrained Unbreakable, who easily won the seven furlong (1,400m) by 6 ½ lengths in a time of 1:35.2 minutes.

Thomas then brought Buckaluck with a telling run in deep stretch to beat rivals by a length and a half going five furlongs (1,000m) on the round course in the fourth event, giving trainer Todd his second winner for the day.

Thomas aboard Gorgeous Gift for trainer Tensang Chung in the fifth race had a scare when he fell from his mount along with three other riders during the running of the event. Thomas was the only rider who was cleared by medical staff to continue to ride while the others were stood down.

The other riders who fell were Jerome Innis aboard Nomas; Tevin Foster aboard Smoke Haze and Roger Hewitt aboard Persistent One. Foster was taken to hospital for observation.

The winner of the race, Primal Fear, ridden by Oshane Nugent, was later disqualified for causing interference and intimidation which resulted in the fall of the riders. Big Big Daddy, trained by Gary Subratie and ridden by Robert Halledeen, was promoted to first place.

After the scare Thomas then teamed up with many-time champion trainer Wayne Dacosta to post his remaining three winners in consecutive races.

The duo first won with the three-year-old roan gelding Fearless Champion to win the sixth race, a Restricted Allowance 11 event over seven-and-a-half furlongs (1,500m). Fearless Champion won by two lengths in a time of 1:33.1 minutes.

Den Street, a two-year-old bay colt, continued the winning trail for Thomas when taking the Restricted Allowance sixth race by 2 ½ lengths. Den Street won in a time of 1:06.3 minutes.

The special moment for Thomas, as he joined a select band of riders to win five or more races on a single race programme, came in the top-rated Non-restricted Overnight Allowance event when he drove Summer Sun to a length-anda-half win going over one mile (1,600m) in 1:38.3 minutes.

(Photo: Garfield Robinson) Anthony Thomas astride Summer Sun (right) gallops away from stable mate Uncle Frank (Dane Nelson) to capture the Nonrestricted Overnight Allowance three-year-old and upward contest over a mile (1600 metres) in rainy conditions at Caymanas Park yesterday. Summer Sun completed a five-timer on the shortened eight-race programme, as the ninth race was abandoned due to inclement weather.