- Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
Trainers' Association president Vin Edwards presents a commemorative plaque to pioneering female trainer Eileen Cliggott for her outstanding contribution to the racing industry in a career spanning over 40 years, at Caymanas Park yesterday. Hall of Famer Cliggott and fellow trainer Emma Chen, both retired in recent years, were honoured by the JRTA, but Chen was unable to attend the presentation.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
MEDIC ON BOARD, running at odds of 10-1 with four-time champion Charles Hussey aboard, produced a devastating last furlong run to beat long-time leader CHOSEN ONE by a neck in the circular nine co-feature for the Calvin O'Sullivan Memorial Cup (overnight allowance) at Caymanas Park yesterday.
The Trainers' Association Day 11-race programme featured as many as five trophy races, with Hussey's mount EASTERN LIGHT (5-2) also winning the restricted allowance II for the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers' Association Trophy over 1200 metres by 3 1/2 lengths in a field of 12 (non winners of two).
Also on the card was the inaugural running of the Dye Job Trophy over 1200 metres confined to imported horses. Victory went to the 7-2 chance SENOR GATO with Shane Ellis riding for trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes and co-owners Elias Haloute and Mark Orelue.
In the Calvin O'Sullivan Memorial, MEDIC ON BOARD found himself badly outpaced in the nine-horse field, as his more fancied stable-companion YOUNG FOR ALL (6-5 fav), under champion jockey Trevor Simpson, disputed the lead with the 8-5 second favourite CHOSEN ONE with Allen Maragh aboard.
The leaders went at it hammer and tongs for the first half of the race ahead of highly fancied BANJUHAR (5-2) before CHOSEN ONE inched ahead approaching the 600-metre pole, at which stage MEDIC ON BOARD was last but one.
Although disposing of YOUNG FOR ALL at the final bend and turning back a feeble challenge from GOOD TO GO (8-1) on the rails early in the last furlong, CHOSEN ONE was gobbled up by MEDIC ON BOARD who came with a tremendous burst of speed over the final 100 metres for an upset win.
STEWARDS' INQUIRY
GOOD TO GO finished close up in third another length away, while fourth past the post YOUNG FOR ALL was disqualified following a Stewards' Inquiry, this for causing interference to UNLEADED early in the race. UNLEADED (46-1) was subsequently promoted to fourth.
MEDIC ON BOARD is a 5-y-o chestnut gelding by The Medic out of the Exotic Traveler mare All Aboard. He is owned by Alexander Haber and bred by DaCosta.
In the Trainers' Association Trophy co-feature, CRUISING ALTITUDE with Ellis riding for Nunes, was installed a 2-5 favourite but in the end he was decisively beaten into third place by EASTERN LIGHT.
Trained by Percy Hussey for his mother, Ruth - the leading owner with over $10.6 million in stakes, EASTERN LIGHT bided his time just off the early pace as TARBO led at a fast clip. The leader ran wide at the home turn taking out the challenging favourite CRUISING ALTITUDE with him, enabling EASTERN LIGHT to get an inside run into the straight and eventually the lead approaching the distance. Thereafter, he skittered away to win by 3 1/2 lengths from 24-1 shot SWEET LOOKING GUY with CRUISING ALTITUDE fading into third, a major disappointment.
CLIGGOTT, CHEN HONOURED
The Trainers' Association, in keeping with their annual raceday, honoured pioneering female trainers Eileen Cliggott and Emma Chen for "long and outstanding service to the racehorse industry". Both women have retired from training in the past two years.
Hall of Famer Cliggott, an Englishwoman, was the best trainer to never have won the championship. She saddled a total of 976 winners in a career spanning 45 years.
Now 87, Cliggott who was associated with such outstanding horses as the 1965 Derby winner RUMPELSTILTSKIN, the 1969 'Horse of the Year' PERSIAN COIN as well as ETTU, CHARLOTTE RUSSE and CONDUCTOR to name a few, was on hand to receive her commemorative plaque from Trainers' Association president Vin Edwards and other members of the executive.
Chen, who saddled a total of 115 winners including ST. THOMAS and ENOLA GAY, was not present to receive her plaque as she now lives in Christiana. Trainer Margaret Parchment collect it on her behalf.
TOUGH DAY
On what turned out to be a tough day for form players, THE SEA PRINCESS (Richie Mitchell up) at odds of 5-2 and smart two-year-old debutant MIRACLE MAN at 2-1 (Allen Maragh up) from the stables of legendary trainer A.E. 'Billy' Williams won the Earl Adams Memorial Trophy over the straight course and Abbie Grannum Memorial Cup over 1400 metres in fine style.
Owned by Joseph 'Fudgie' Duany, MIRACLE MAN ran through a furlong out to beat the front-running favourite ROYAL COMMAND by 3 1/4 lengths. He is a chestnut colt by Law Of The Sea out of Hya which makes him a full brother to the 2003 St. Leger and UBA Gold Cup winner HERECOMESFUDGIE.
