Colonel Wales lands SVL Stakes
RUTH Hussey is the new champion owner and Omar Walker retained his jockeys’ Championship title by one win to join Wayne DaCosta in winning three consecutive Championships as the curtains came down on the 2009 racing season at Caymanas Park yesterday.
While Paul Francis failed by the narrowest of margins to win his first jockeys’ title tallying 97 wins to Walker’s 98 after only winning one of his nine rides on the 12-race card, the matriarch of the Hussey family was crowned champion owner for the second time after son Percy saddled her bay colt Colonel Wales to victory in the 98th running of the $4,250,000 Supreme Ventures Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes Grade One feature.
Ridden by the five-time champion jockey Trevor Simpson, Colonel Wales, the 3-2 second favourite ran 1,600 metres in 1:39.1 to beat the event money favourite Classy Prospect, the mount of Shane Ellis by 4 3/4 lengths in the Futurity race which included native-bred runners. Sixteen were originally declared but two were scratched at the gates.
Al Fouzia, ridden by Winston Griffiths, was third, but not before causing some anxious moments as she shot to the front from the off and continued to set the early fractions until relegate to second by the eventual winner leaving the 800 metres pole.
Classy Prospect, who has recovered from a slow start, also went by Al Fouzia shortly afterwards and from there on she held the rest of the field at bay to finish third as a 5-2 bet.
Rolex, who was neglected in the betting at odds of 15-1, made a sharp move on the outside turning for home. He then galloped on resolutely in deep stretch to close the frame under Larris Allen.
Colonel Wales, a bay colt by Region Of Merit out of November Lace ( Peaks And Valleys) and bred at YS (1955 Ltd), was winning for the second time from five career starts and earned $2,295,000 as the winner’s share for earnings of $3,508,800 lifetime.
Meanwhile Rum Talk outbattled Ad Infinitum in the final 200 metres to score back-to-back wins in the $1,500,000 Harry Jackson Memorial Cup Grade One secondary feature over Ad Infinitum partmered by claiming apprentice Aaron Chatrie.