Sachin cops Birnamwood Memorial Trophy feature
STALKING the small field from last Sachin found his legs before finding ample racing room along the running rails entering the 600 metres pole. He then closed with a flourish, scrubbing the rails to win the $492,000 Birnamwood Memorial Trophy highlighter at Caymanas Park on Wednesday.
Sent off as a 5-2 bet champion jockey Dane Nelson for owner/trainer Henry G Harrison who looked hopelessly out of it but had the field off its leg turning up the lane to register his second win from five starts for the season by 3 1/2 lengths. The time for 1300 metres was 1:21.4 among $350,000-$300,000 three-year-olds upward and five-year-olds (NW3).
Imperial Fortune, a 2-1 chance ridden by Richard Mitchell who chased after Sachin in the stretch drive also along the rails, was second with Shining Gold, the 6-5 favourite ridden by leading jockey Omar Walker, was third another 7 1/2 lengths back.
Maybe I Say So, a 7-2 chance, completed the frame under Dick Cardenas in the field of seven.
Sachin, a six-year-old bay gelding by Traditional out of Winning Spirit (Judge TC) and bred by Dr Paul Wright, registered his fifth win from 30 career starts and earned $268,650 as the winner’s share for earnings of $1,938,400 lifetime.
Fitzroy Glispie saddled two winners on the nine-race card to take training honours, while Dick Cardenas was the most successful jockey also with two wins. Glispie saddled Saga Boy in the fist race with claiming apprentice Ruja Lahoe up and Money Move in the fifth with Peter Bryan. Cardenas was aboard Madam Radham in the second race for trainer Lawrence Freemantle and Ethos for trainer Wayne Parchment in the third.