Silence stuns race fans at 25-1

SILENCE LEFT punters dumbstruck in yesterday’s closing event at Caymanas Park, the 1820-metre Simply Magic Cup, winning under a hand ride at odds of 25-1.

Though he had finished third a week-and-a-half ago after twice bumping into the rail, SILENCE was kicked out of the betting with three-kilo claiming apprentice Anthony Thomas, ignored by punters, who made TWILIGHT DREAMS the even-money favourite.

However, the chestnut gelding won as though he was the fancied horse, stalking rivals from sixth position down the backstretch before pouncing on MALACHI, WONG DON and EL MAESTRO coming off the home turn.

Pushed out by Thomas, SILENCE quickly opened up daylight on the early leaders and sprinted well clear from a furlong-and-half out, coming home a lonely winner at the wire.

EL MAESTRO stayed on for second ahead of LADY FAYE whereas WONG DON finished fourth.

TWILIGHT DREAMS, who prompted the pace as a quartet with MALACHI, EL MAESTRO, and WONG DON, started showing signs of distress from three furlongs out and failed to stay the distance after his encouraging run in the recent 2000 Guineas.

HONOURS SHARED

Jockeys Shane Ellis and Robert Halledeen shared riding honours with two winners a piece on the nine-race midweek card.

Ellis opened the programme with LEEKOUT and returned to land the fifth with LUCKY STROKE.

Halledeen piloted BALLON D’OR to an easy win in the third but had to repel a stretch challenge aboard SUPERLUMINAL to hold Ellis at bay astride WILL IN CHARGE in the eighth event.

Racing continues on Saturday with t he feature event being the 10-furlong Jamaica Oaks, which has been stripped of its star horse, SHE’S A MANEATER, who injured herself at exercise Sunday morning.