In a bang-up finish, jockey Devon A. Thomas raises his whip in triumph aboard 10-1 shot SNOW PROSPECT who won race No 1 in the Champion Betting Claiming Series over 1200m at Caymanas Park yesterday. She won by a nose from COCK ROBIN (right). - Photo by Collin Hamilton
The Champion Betting/CTL Claiming Series was off to a rollicking start at Caymanas Park yesterday as race one resulted in a spectacular blanket finish involving four horses.
Indeed, the $220,000-$190,000 claiming race over 1200 metres was only decided in the final stride. The 10-1 chance, SNOW PROSPECT, ran on well between horses to pip the leader COCK ROBIN (11-1) by a nose.
Also involved in the bang-up finish were the 33-1 outsider DUST ROCK in third, heads on with long-time leader PRODIGAL SON (18-1), both finishing less than a length away in a field of 13.
The betting made Omar Walker's mount CHINA TOWN a 2-1 to win for the fourth time in the last three months, but he, along with the highly fancied HARMONICS (5-2), ran way below expectations to finish well beaten.
It was BADJEROS ROSE who made the early running from PRODIGAL SON, COCK ROBIN and SNOW PROSPECT.
PRODIGAL SON went through approaching the half mile and carried the field into the straight. He came under pressure from the ever-present COCK ROBIN under Shane Ellis early in the last furlong and with both SNOW PROSPECT and DUST ROCK running on late, the stage was set for an exciting finish.
Lucky losers competition
SNOW PROSPECT was ridden by Devon A. Thomas for owner Marcus Bradley and trainer Barry Dawes. This marked the first race in the Champion Betting Limited Series which will see one race per month over varied distances. Each of the six races offers a total purse of $500,000 - up from $385,000 in the previous CTL Claiming Series which ran from January to June.
The series, which offers lucrative cash incentives (bonuses) to the top two owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms at the end of a six-month period, is being sponsored by Champion Betting Limited to the tune of $2 million.
The noted bookmaking company will sponsor all six races this year, along with the first six next year, which run from January to June.
If that wasn't enough, there is a Champion Lucky Losers competition tied in to each race, this offering $40,000 each month.
This promotion received overwhelming support from Champion customers, but following the draw (a full drum of entries) just prior to the race, no entry matched the winning horse. As a result, the $40,000 prize will be carried over and added to the $40,000 earmarked for the next race in the series on Saturday, August 29, over 1400 metres.
On a day when Trevor Simpson rode two winners, the Anthony Nunes-trained REGAL SENSATION (8-5) ran on strongly to win the Terremoto Trophy for two-year-olds over the round five course, while UNDAUNTED, who missed the classics, enjoyed an impressive win in the seventh race over 1600 metres, clocking the smart time of 1:39.0.