O’Brien, Boodramsingh flex at Santa Rosa

JOHN O’BRIEN and Brian Boodramsingh won more than half the events when horse racing continued Saturday at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.

The powerful trainer/jockey combo combined to take four of the seven events during the second round of the Arima Race Club’s 2023 Season.

It was as close to a perfect afternoon as possible for O’Brien as his charges were only represented in five races.

The 19-time champion trainer was only denied in the fourth event when Princess Royal, a filly who is still three months away from turning three years old proper, finished ahead of just one horse when she made her debut on turf, while tackling two turns for the first time.

Proud Vanessa just held off Schwarzenegger by a short-head to win the 1,600-metre modified benchmark handicap for 35 & lower rated horses for owner Mr Pius and trainer Shaffique Khan.

Two-kilo claimer Omar Mohammed booted home the 6/5 favourite after he had triumphed aboard D & Dr Stables’ C’est La Vie in the opener, the 1,350-metre modified benchmark handicap for 45-30 rated horses. It was the second victory from as many races contested on the track by Jimmy Ramperad’s charge as she had prevailed in the final event on the previous card a month earlier at odds of 14/1.

O’Brien and Boodramsingh combined to win the next two races with Happy Bird and In The Headlines, and after drawing a blank in the ensuing two races, normal business resumed when they teamed up to score with Soca Harmony and Princess Aruna, punctuating yet another unforgettable day for themselves at Santa Rosa park.

All four were favourites with the shortest price being In The Headlines, who outclassed her three fellow locally-bred three-year-old maiden fillies, over 1,350 metres, in the Royal Colours Classic, on debut at odds of 2/5.

Just before the feature, Happy Bird had coasted home by 3 3/4 lengths at odds of 1/2 in the 1,100-metre turf contest for native-bred three-year-old and over maidens.

The Hugh Leong Poi-bred and -owned four-year-old is a half-sister to 2021 Stewards’ Cup and Gold Cup winner Affirmative, ’19 Stewards Cup winner Early Bird and Super Bird—who was nosed out in the Sian’s Gold Sprint a month earlier.

Princess Aruna has never lost on grass and the streak was stretched to four when she beat stable companion Game Changer by three lengths in the curtain event, the modified benchmark handicap for 60-45 rated horses over 1,600 metres.

Mitra Samlal’s chestnut, who placed third in the Guineas and fourth in the Trinidad Derby Stakes last year, was sent off at odds of 4/5.

Just before, Midsummer Classic and Derby heroine Soca Harmony and Guineas and Gold Cup winner Crown Prince, respectively, had featured in another one-two for O’Brien in the 1,750-metre modified benchmark handicap for 90-70 rated horses.