Chester Roberts is confident that his filly, Chloe's Gold has the class and form to beat her rivals in the Grade Two co-feature, Neal & Massy Santa Rosa Classic over 1,200 metres. This event, along with the Bernard Dulal - Whiteway Independence Cup, will be feature events on Neal & Massy Day at the Races, on Independence Day, next Wednesday, when a large, holiday crowd is expected on to converge at the centralised venue, Santa Rosa Park. Yesterday morning in bright sunshine, Roberts shared his views on the Santa Rosa Classic, which now looks looks like a three-horse war between the John O'Brien trained duo of Lawbreaker and B's Passion, the Douglas Zbennet trained, Invictus and the Chester Roberts trained filly, Chloe's Gold.
Roberts explained, "She has beaten many of her rivals already, this year and I have just kept her ticking over as she can sprint. the jockey Jody Arneaud knows the filly well and has confidence in her ability."
"She is coming from pole position nine where she will be able to see all her rivals and Arneaud will know when he can play his hand. She is well and I am certain she will go well. Whoever, wishes to beat her will have to run under 1:12 to win. My filly can dod that so it up to them to deleiver on Wednesday. I have hear the hullabaloo before and in the Gleneagle Stakes we won easily. Now, the talk is Lawbreaker but we will wait and see. he is a good horse but we beat him in the Derby," he ended.
Arneaud was just as confident about the Russell Ramsammy owned filly Chloe's Gold which finished fourth in the Derby. That day Chloe's Gold had both Lawbreaker (fifth) and B's Passion (eighth)behind her in the National Gas CNG Derby.
He said, "In the Gleneagle they said she would not stay and that O'brien horses would beat her. We beat B'Passion and Treasure Girl out of sight. We have beaten the fillies easily, so now the colt Lawbreaker has been sent to lower our colours. When we quicken coming to the corner it will be a great battle coming home. However, I think we will be ahead again at the line." This step back to sprinting may be a welcome move, in a race which could well decide the top three-year-old sprinter in T&T. Roberts has done well with the daughter of Western Envoy/baby Chloe and has her ready to do herself justice on Independence Day. There has been a lot of money for the Douaglas Bennet trained Invictus while the Christopher Prime trained Ready to score has come in for more support.
Positions
Declared runners and riders and estimatrd odds for the Neal & Massy Santa Rosa Classic
1. Oriental Appeal - S Jardim - R Jadoo 54.5 16/1
2. B's Passion - J' O'Brien - B Harding 54.5 10/1
3. Lawbreaker - J O'Brien - N Abrego 56.5 6/5
4. Treasure Girl - J O'Brien - B Boodramsing 25/1
5. D Girlz Dem Sugar - G Mendez- J Samuel 56.5 20/1
6. Ring The Bell - M Carew (Jnr) - R Perez 56.5 100/1
7. Invictus - D Bennett - R Jadoo 56.5 7/1
8. Ready To Score - C Prime - A Maragh 56.5 7/2
9. Chloe's Gold - C Roberts - J Arneaud 54.5 7/5
