RACE DAY REVIEW FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2024
Featured on the programme of nine races was another renewal of the 1,820-metre Distinctly Irish Trophy, staged as race five. Only five of the six declared starters paraded for the circuitous gallop.
Once again two-time Horse of the Year 2022 and 2023 five-year-old-mare Atomica toted top weight (57 kilogrammes) which proved to be excessive over the distance.
Atomica, in conceding 3.5 kilogrammes to the Jason DaCosta-conditioned, Tevin Foster ridden progressive three-year-old US-bred colt Funcaandun (1-1), who defeated her by nine lengths on July 27, the combative Atomica reduced it to just over two lengths.
As indicated in this newspaper’s Supreme Racing Guide published a day earlier, the strapping importee should have received no more than a kilogramme although here he had eight kilogrammes more than he carried in their July encounter.
The supporters of title-chasing reinsman Raddesh Roman had a lot to celebrate in the 1,100-metre opener. Declared by Saqlain Roman, 2-1 bet Lord Of Ajahlon got the benefit of his immense riding skills to score by minimum margin of a nose for Roman’s first of three on the card to take his season tally to 82.
In winning aboard Funcaandun (USA), leading Tevin Foster had his only success on the day to end with 87 and under pressure from his chief protagonist.
Long-serving Omar Simpson, on only his fifth ride this season, had Michael Marlowe’s 6-1 bet Last Dance in front of her five rivals over the 1,300 metres of race two. Following race three, Roman was back in the winners’ enclosure on this occasion for Neive Graham. The veteran, who resumed training recently, posted Salud (9-5), the winner by over four lengths, for two successes from only nine starters from his stable this season.
Ridden by Paul Francis for the first of his riding double and trained by Marlon Pusey,
Generational (10-1) outsprinted nine rivals to win race five over the 1,000 metres of the straight course. An hour later over the same distance, Francis confirmed his second in race six.
Three-year-old maiden filly Awesome Line (8-1) led, did not look likely to be denied and won by four lengths for trainer Lorenzo Robinson to claim his first win of the season.
Saddled by Anthony Subratie and having been well behind, although mostly well fancied for his last four starts, Amad Ali (5-1) returned to form to score in the 1,200-metre race seven with Oneil Mullings in the saddle for the first of his two successes on the card.
In race eight, run at 1,300 metres, Norblar 3-2 from the stable of Gresford Smith battled to score by three parts of a length for Roman to secure his three-timer.
Mullings had his second aboard the Philip Feanny-conditioned three-year-old
Firecracker (2-1) in the 1,300-metre nightcap.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Marlon Pusey for the performance of inconsistent sprinter Generational.
Firecracker delivered the Best Winning Gallop in race nine, where as many as five starters hald every chance of winning with less the 50 metres from the finish.
The Jockeyship Award has Roman, Francis and Mullings meriting deliberative assessment as success required the totality of their respective skill sets. Be that as it may, Roman’s three-timer gives him the edge over the two veterans.