Anthony Thomas increases his lead over Dane Nelson in jockeys’ race
Review of race day – Sunday, October 11, 2020
Herecomestheboss opened the eight-race Sunday programme with a gate-to-wire performance in the hands of leading apprentice Oshane Nugent with the five-year-old mare running well under pressure inside the last 200 metres to score by a half-a-length for trainer Fitzgerald Richards, thus securing the jockey’s first of two on the day.
Aptly named juvenile Miniature Man, trained by Wayne Dacosta and ridden by runaway leader 2018 champion Anthony Thomas, was too forward for long odds-on favourite Further And Beyond (Dane Nelson) debuting for champion and leading conditioner Anthony Nunes.
Miniature Man, the medium-sized son of Northern Giant, was always in control and beat his peer by over four lengths in the 800-metre second event sprint.
Half-an-hour later in the third, nicely named favourite Highly Bless (Omar Walker), a strongly built colt, showed a lot of speed to be always clear in winning by over five lengths on debut for owners O’shaun Connection and trainer Victor Williams in this 800-metre contest.
In the fourth, trainer Gary Subratie’s Awesome Boy (Anthony Thomas) was an expensive flop as the short-priced favourite.
The Us-bred maiden actually led to the halfway point before disappearing. Winner Weekend Jazz, schooled by Byron Davis, had to sprint determinedly to hold Striking Lady (Jordan Barrett) by a half-a-length over the 1000-metre straight course.
Oshane Thomas’ double closing on Weekend Jazz moves him to 23 career wins and seventh place on the list of apprentices licensed from September 29, 2018. The promising rider’s current tally also puts him atop the list of those whose careers commenced with his on December 7, 2019.
The valedictorian of the 2019 graduating class is the most successful to date as the last four honorees have made no such impression.
In race five, Capturemyship, ridden by Anthony Thomas for trainer Gregory Forsyth, is demonstrating improved form at six years to win the fourth of his last five starts and the third straight for the trainer who claimed him for $500,000 in December 2019.
This double by Thomas takes him to 63 wins this year which is 15 clear of the nearest pursuer, Dane Nelson.
The sixth was won by Casual Peach from well off the pace as none of the front runners could match her finishing speed. The five-year-old daughter of leading sire Casual Trick won by six lengths for jockey Dick Cardenas and trainer Michael Marlowe.
Top handicap rated for the seventh, Patrick Lynch’s consistent filly Formal Fashion (Robert Halledeen) showed speed and gameness in tracking progressive four-year-old colt Deep Blue Sea (in receipt of four kilogrammes) and wearing him down close home to win by half –a-length. Ridden by Raddesh Roman Deep Blue Sea was later disqualified for interference and the placings with third-place Unknown Soldier reversed by the race-day Operation Stewards.
Apprentice Samantha Fletcher lying 10th on the list of apprentices who graduated September 2018 with 10 wins at the end of 2019 was declared on her 84th ride of the season with no wins this year.
However, she earned the trust of trainer Junior Panton seeking his third seasonal triumph. Miss Fletcher got a very good break with Party Princess but was headed 800 metres out by Original Train (Matthew Bennett) who turned for home clear. Party Princess stayed on well in the centre of the track to regain the lead at odds of 7/1 in the eighth and final event.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Gregory Forsyth for not only the improved form of Capturemyship but also for the horse’s transformation in temperament. Capturemyship’s roguish antics have produced nothing but anxiety for all his riders from his first racecourse appearance four years ago when he was clear approaching the winning post, bolted to the right, kicked out a huge portion of the rails at the winners’ enclosure and scared jockey Shane Ellis half to death. The Best Winning Gallop is for Formal Fashion who showed unquestioned courage in responding to Robert Halledeen’s educated assistance to give him the Jockeyship Award.