Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterHISTORY REPEATED at Caymanas Park yesterday when five-time champion jockey Winston Griffiths teamed up with many-time champion trainer Philip Feanny and popular owner Joseph "Fudgie" Duany to win the Abe Issa Memorial Cup feature for the second consecutive year, this time with the vastly improved RAKKADASH.
Last year they teamed up to win the 1200-metre Stakes race with I'MSATISFIED, who went on to be crowned 'Horse of the Year'.
Although shouldering top weight of 57kg, RAKKADASH was installed a 3-5 favourite in the field of six with good support coming in for recent winner NEFTENGA and GOINGTOKANASCITY, both at 2-1.
At the off, GOINGTOKANSASCITY was slowly into stride as AFFIRMATION (7-1) on the rails vied for the lead with RAKKADASH who was smartly away.
GOINGTOKANSCITY, however, was ridden hell for leather to recover and went by the battling leaders after the first 300 metres.
RAKKADASH was already in chase leaving the half mile and moving sweetly approaching the home turn, came upsides 'KANSAS CITY'.
At this stage, NEFTENGA made rapid headway from off the pace to straighten three wide and came through with RAKKADASH from early in the straight. But although looking dangerous on the outside, NEFTENGA, under top apprentice Oneil Mullings, failed to carry through the effort in mid-stretch as he began to drift out under pressure.
This allowed RAKKADASH to assert his authority from early in the last furlong, as he moved away to beat NEFTENGA by 3 1/4 lengths with the rank outsider HEART THROB (36-1) staying on for third.
RAKKADASH, who was racing for the first time since finishing third to I'MSATISFIED in the Lotto Gold Cup over 1400 metres on December 14, has now won six of his past eight races.
His victory continued a remarkable run for Duany who not only took home the 'Horse of the Year' award on February 6, but has seen another of his vastly improved horses, SATISFIER (a full brother to I'msatisfied) win twice since the start of the year.
Indeed, in the space of a year, Duany has won the Abe Issa Memorial twice, The Lotto Gold Cup, Arthur Jones Cup, Caribbean Sprint Championship Trophy, None Such Sprint Trophy and the Lotto Sprint (all with I'msatisfied), not to mention the Pringle Cup, Melvin "Babu" Chin Memorial Cup and G.A. "Sarge" Bucknor Memorial Cup with RAKKADASH, and the New Year's Day Trophy with SATISFIER, to name a few.
Meanwhile, owner/trainer Richard Azan, although out of luck with NEFTENGA, posted two winners on the 10-race programme in the promising three-year-old geldings, BANJUHAR and ABUELO. Both won impressively over 1200 metres with claiming apprentice Oneil Mullings in the saddle.
After finishing second in each of his five previous races, BANJUHAR came into his own with an easy victory over the front-running ROYAL MALICE who gave way approaching the distance in a field of eight maidens. The winner, a 1-2 favourite, is by Pat N Jac out of the Exotic Traveler mare Alejandra.
ABUELO, who had won his previous race, stormed through on the inside to beat long-time leader and 4-5 favourite WARREN B and highly fancied SCOTCHONTHEROCKS by 3 1/2 lengths at at 8-1. ABUELO is by Al's River Cat out of Arantxa.
Also posting two winners was trainer Howard Philipps. These were the evens favourite ELEGANCE and 14-1 outsider FRENCH MINISTER. Both were ridden by in-form Panamanian jockey Ameth Robles for owner Raphael Gordon.
Robles missed a triple when 7-5 favourite SIG SAUER was disqualified after winning the third race in a driving finish from BUSHY PARK RAJA (awarded race), this for causing repeated interference to the leader AKIODA in the straight.
SIG SAUER, the third winner to be disqualified this season, was demoted to fourth, behind AKIODA.
