Sunday, October 8, 2023

Featured on the eight-race programme and staged as the seventh was the 2023 renewal of the Royal Dad Trophy.

This, in honour of the 1981 Triple Crown hero, the first at the then 22-year-old Caymanas racetrack. Since then, there has been another 11 Triple Crown champions, Monday Morning (1987), Lui Chie Poo (1988), The Viceroy (1989), Milligram (1992), War Zone (1996), I'm Satisfied (2000), Simply Magic (2000), Alsafra (2008), Mark My Word (2010), She's A Maneater (2017), and Supreme Soul (2019).

Although his brilliantly speedy sire Buzz Nightmare was not fully effective beyond 1,200 metres, Rhythm Buzz has demonstrated that he possesses a depth of stamina, no doubt compliments of his dam. The colt's maiden success was over 1,820 metres and in addition, he was fourth in the 1,600-metre 2000 Guineas and fourth in the 2,000-metre St Leger.

Therefore, being ideally suited by the 1,820 metres of the Royal Dad, it was a relatively simple matter for the Vincent Atkinson-trained Rhythm Buzz (1-1) to outstay his opposition. This gave Raddesh Roman the second of his two winners on the card with a five-and-a-quarter-length margin of victory. Favourite at odds of 1-2, Divine Force (USA) ran as though something was amiss and never looked likely to be competitive at any stage of Royal Dad.

There was a winning even money favourite in the opener with the habitually fractious Hunter's Ridge delaying the start. The perseverance and patience of the gate handlers were exemplary in dealing with the six-year-old brown gelding's stubborn refusal to enter the starting gate. This exercise required no fewer than six attempts. Despite his customary pre-race antics, Hunter's Ridge scored in 800-metre straight gallop for trainer Donwell Dawes with in-form Matthew Bennett guiding the obstreperous thoroughbred to a near two-length advantage at the line.

On his ninth mount of the racing year, Richard Cole had to expend no effort as 4-5 favourite Babylon Will Fall, saddled by Ricardo Brown, was nearly 16 lengths ahead of her nearest of six rivals in race two. This event was contested on the 1,000-metre straight course.

At the end of the 1,300-metre race three, owner/trainer Gary Crawford could hardly disguise his satisfaction as Pro Johnny (7-2), with Bebeto Harvey in the irons, could see all rivals for around 1,000 metres but overcame the deficit with a last 200-metre sprint to score by more than two lengths.

Champion jockey Dane Dawkins had to utilise the full extent of his skill set to facilitate trainer Steven Todd's visit to the winners' enclosure to meet Prince Sanjay (6-5) following the contest for race four. It was the speedy filly Gracefully Made with the ever-improving Raddesh Roman aboard sharing the headlines early before assuming sole leadership with 600 of the 1,100 metres remaining.

Dawkins was all patience from the start but kept Prince Sanjay in close touch. Still in front, Gracefully Made ran determinedly inside the 200 metres but Dawkins's athletic ability, balance and correct use of the whip denied the frontrunner by a neck to thwart a good display of skills by Roman as well.

An hour later, Roman's luck improved dramatically as trainer Richard Azan deployed his services as the replacement for the absent declared table topping Reyan Lewis to partner the curiously named maiden filly The Bees Knees in the 1,300-metre race six. She scored by three lengths comfortably, returning a starting price of 7/2. Going forward the light-framed filly looks likely to be fully effective over distances exceeding today's.

As anticipated, Power Of Love, 3-5 favourite, saddled by former three-time champion Anthony Nunes and ridden by Tevin Foster, confirmed her promise and progressive form winning by a conservative seven and a half lengths at the end of the 1,600-metre exertion of race five restricted to non-winners of two races.

Race eight, the Vassel "Jolly Man" Najair Memorial Trophy, run at 1,100 metres went to 5-1 shot Freedom Street ridden by Roger Hewitt for top-10 conditioner Patrick Lynch.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Gary Crawford for the improvement of Pro Johnny to win immediately in a higher category, which is not that frequent in the Caymanas horse population of horses five years and upwards. Undoubtedly, it was the Best Winning Gallop given the degree of difficulty. Champion Dawkins cops the Jockeyship Award for his handling of Prince Sanjay.

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