SAFRA TILAH LOOKS AWESOME IN NURSERY STAKES.

Jockey Ricky Jadoo and Owner Juan Navarro enjoyed trebles, but the star of the day was definitely a four-footed animal when horse racing continued at Santa Rosa Park, Arima. SAFRA TILAH turned in another scintillating performance to run away with the feature attraction of the 32^nd round of Arima Race Club’s 2012 Season. It was only the second time that the “babes” were facing the starter this year and the daughter of Cougar Cat cruised to an 8 lengths triumph in the Nursery Stakes, penultimate event of the eight-race card. Sent off as the 2/5 favourite after prevailing with consummate ease on her Emancipation Day (August 1) debut, SAFRA TILAH cruised into the lead at the half-way stage of the 1000 metres contest and left the others to battle it out for the minor positions. After being outpaced in the early stages of the $100,000 contest for West Indian-bred two-year-olds, AFTERTHEBOOKS was doing his best work in the closing stages and ended up second in his first racecourse appearance.

STAR DREAMER, also racing for the first time after being withdrawn on August 1, was another 1 ¼ lengths back in third, while her fellow Harold Chadee-owned and trained Jamaican-bred filly ALWAYS READY finished fifth of the eight runners. READYFORSTANLEY ended up fourth and the sixth and final cheque went to SOMETHING BLACK, who fell away badly in the homestretch for the second straight time after being very prominent in the early stages. Like SOMETHING BLACK and SAFRA TILAH, KISS THE SKY had raced before, but the experience did little for the half-sister of 2009 Guineas winner SANTA ROSA BOY as she finished only ahead of CAT WHISKERS. After smashing the 800 metres track record on debut, SAFRA TILAH registered another very quick time and would probably have threatened the 1,000-metre record had she not been eased considerably by jockey Jadoo in the closing stages.

Still Glenn Mendez’s inmate stopped the clock only 1 1/5^th of a second outside the track record (59 2/5) held jointly by Navarro’s REWARDSINHEAVEN and LUCA’S GOLD. The latter actually raced and won earlier in the day over the same distance, stopping the clock just 1/5^th of a second faster than SAFRA TILAH did, and it should be noted that seasoned campaigner LUCA’S GOLD had to pull out all the stops to defeat a respected bunch of 70-50 rated horses. It was the 12^th career victory for LUCA’S GOLD, but the first since 2010 for the eight-year-old son of the legendary SIAN’S GOLD. The 5/1 shot got up in the closing stages to deny long-time leader A GREAT MILLENNIUM by half-a-length to open the account on the day for Navarro and his trainer Derick Mosca. Navarro and Mosca finished off proceedings when ONE FORTHEROAD toyed with a bunch of 60-40 rated horses and won the 1,350-metre affair by an eased-down 5 ½ lengths.

This assignment suggested that connections were bypassing the Trinidad Derby after Jamaican-bred three-year-old had been disappointing since finishing fourth in the Easter Guineas on Easter Monday (April 9). It will be interesting to see if this performance sways Navarro to put ONE FORTHEROAD back in the final leg of the local Triple Crown, which is just two weeks away on Republic Day, September 24, 2012. Navarro had begun the afternoon in spectacular fashion when SATYA TREASURE, trained by Stephen Jardim, slammed the West Indian-bred three-year-olds by the day’s widest margin of 9 ¼ lengths over 1100 metres on the turf. Jadoo was astride SATYA TREASURE and SAFRA TILAH, the two easiest winners of the day, and between the two, the four-time champion jockey guided ZIPITUP to a 3 1/4-length triumph in the 1200 metres contest for 30 & lower rated horses. Just before, in the fourth event, apprentice Nigel Flavenney began his double by piloting NOTHING LEFT to a 3 ¾-length victory in the 1100 metres turf contest for 40 & lower rated horses. The winner overcame traffic problems early in the stretch, while runner-up SEAL THE DEAL came with a tremendous rattle in mid-stretch but got stuck in traffic.

Maniram Maharaj Sr. bred, owns and trains NOTHING LEFT and the veteran struck again two races later over the same course and distance when FLY JUNIOR whipped the 85-65 rated horses by 2 ½ lengths in a snappy time of 1:04 flat. This son of Cuvee, owned by Maharaj’s son, Maniram Jr and ridden by the two-kilo claimer Flavenney, is now unbeaten from two starts on the lawn. Fellow American-bred three-year-old GET IT ALL, who is now getting back on track after an eye-catching debut win on Republic Day last year, finished a respectable second in his debut on the lawn. Brian Harding, a veteran of over 30 years in the saddle, drew a blank for the second straight day in the saddle as he approaches 1,000 winners in Trinidad & Tobago. The nine-time champion jockey is just four winners away from the milestone.

Racing continues at Santa Rosa Park on Saturday September 15, 2012, Day 33 of the Arima Race Club’s racing season.