- Dennis CokeTop apprentice Ramon Parish brings home the 2-1 chance FRIENDLY EXPRESS by two lengths from FRENCH BILL in the Lester Spaulding Gold Cup race over 1200 metres for Native Bred 3-y-o at Caymanas Park yesterday. Parish also won aboard SLEW THEM RANNY and GENTLE RIVER CAT.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
BODY & SOUL, running at odds of 0-1 with Shane Ellis aboard, stormed through in mid-stretch to win the RJR corporate Raceday 50th Anniversary Classic over 500 metres in fine style at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Ridden by Shane Ellis for owners N.D.P.D. Blue and leading trainer Philip Feanny, BODY AND SOUL won by 2 1/4 lengths from another 6-1 shot BISTRO who closed fast under topweight to nose out long-time leader CHECK ME OUT (14-1) and MIRANDA WARNING (9-2) in a three-way tussle for the minor placings in the 16-strong field.
In one of the most open betting races in many moons at the Park, the 4-1 favourite PROCEEDACCORDINGLY under champion jockey Andrew Ramgeet finished down the track.
BODY AND SOUL was unable to go the early pace as the recent winner CHECK ME OUT led from ELRAY, SPEED FREAK and MIRANDA WARNING.
In the straight CHECK ME out was challenged strongly by the lightweight SPEED FREAK and then MIRANDA WARNING. But she held on stubbornly approaching passing the furlong pole.
Then, all of a sudden, BODY AND SOUL burst on to the scene after coming wide in fifth position entering the straight. He caught up with CHECK ME OUT early in the last furlong and sealed the issue in a matter of strides, the four-year-old bay filly by The Medic out of Papal Queen notching her third win from 11 starts this season.
As usual, no one was more elated than CTL's director Dr. Paul Wright, who along with former Jockey Club president Dr. David Levy and CTL's vice chairman Neville Rhone are co-owners of BODY AND SOUL.
"This is easily her most impressive performance to date and I am pleasantly surprised", said Dr. Wright.
"She just blew them away up the straight and on paper this was one of the best fields of overnight allowance horses ever to assembly for a trophy race. Our objective for the last quarter is to get her invited to run in the Superstakes in November", he explained.
Earlier in the afternoon, 2-1 second favourite FRIENDLY EXPRESS took over the lead from UPTEMPO approaching the home turn and kept on strongly to win the Lester Spaulding Gold Cup for native-bred three-year-olds over 1200 metres.
One of three winners for in-form apprentice Ramon Parish, FRIENDLY EXPRESS won by two lengths from fast-finishing FRENCH BILL, RED LADY and 7-5 favourite BINGO INTERNO in the 10-horse field. The winner, a three-year-old bay gelding by Restless Thief out of the Joe Slew mare Printing Press is owned by the P.E.P. Syndicate and trained by Harry Jaghai.
The trophy was presented to the winning connections by RJR's group chairman/managing director Lester Spalding, who described the commemorative effort as a "fabulous" day.
"I myself is not a great race horse fan. But sponsoring a day at the races is an ideal setting for closer bonding with the RJR Group and its advertisers, co-workers and friends.
"This is a fitting part of RJR's celebrations. It's all about customer relations". Recipients of major awards were Courts Jamaica Limited (top spending direct for radio), Grace Kennedy (top spending direct client television), MegaMart (best new business radio), Prime Life (best new business television), Marketing Counsellors Limited (top spending agency radio), while Marketing Counsellors shared the television award with Dunlop Gorbin Compton.
Veteran racing commentator David Vernon received a pioneer award from RJR. He called races from the track exclusively on RJR from 1970-1979 alongside the legendary analyst Del Weller.
On a day which proved a nightmare for form players as not one single favourtie obliged, Parish in addition to FRIENDLY EXPRESS, won aboard 13-1 shot SLEW THEM RANNY and the two-year-old GENTLE RIVER CAT at 6-1.
