Kelvin 'N'
Champion trainer John O'Brien signed off on the 2020 season with gusto on Saturday at Santa Rosa Park, Arima when he saddled the winners of the two feature events on Boxing Day.
O'Brien was very happy with how the Ruthven Smith owned four-year-old brown colt won the feature event - the Grade One - National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) Gold Cup over 2,000 metres on the main track.
O'Brien also looked on as Bella Riva exacted her revenge on the the 'Triple Crown' champion Wise Guy in the co-feature event on the day's programe, the NLCB T&T Breeders Classic over 1,800 metres on the main track.
The punters made Making Headlines the 4-5 favourite and he obliged in the manner that a favourite should, coming home in style by 1 1/4 lengths from and last year's winner and defending champion Master of War, which ran a grand race in defeat.
In the process, O'Brien landed a four-timer with Making Headlines which scored the prestigious Stewards Cup/Gold Cup double.
O'Brien told Guardian Media Sports, "Making Headlines has improved significantly in the past four months. He is maturing and he has now shown us that he is something special. He according to some of his fans has become a monster when he hits the track and today was no different."
'I thought that Brian Boodramsing rode him confidently and he never looked as though he would have been in trouble at any point of the race. Coming to the 500 metres marker he was cruising up behind the leaders and it was just a matter of time. At the corner, Boodramsing switched him and just waited for the room to appear and when it did her just shot through. Once he produced his customary devastating turn of the foot not even last year's champion Master of War could withstand the new equine champion. He is really a very happy horse and he could prove difficult to beat once her stays sound. He did the double and that says a lot for him as a sprinter/stayer. But he made history as he became the first Gold Cup winner to be sired by a previous winner of the Gold Cup. His sire Headline News won this event in 2013. He has now gone clear of Juice Man and Apocalypse who dominated him as a three-year-old and the first half of this season. "
With his last two performances, it now looks certain that the new 'Monster" of local Horse racing will become the Horse Of The Year 2020.
In the co-feature NLCB –T&T Breeders Classic over 1800 metres on the main track, Bella Riva exacted her revenge on 'Triple Crown' winner Wise Guy when she comprehensively beat him by 3 1/4 length. with pair pulling clear of third-place Smooth Sailing.
O'Brien stated, "Brain Boodramsing rode a good race on the filly and dictated matters ad then made the race into a sprint. Once she quickened up on that occasion Wise Guy could not bridge the gap. She really ran another good race yesterday. She could well be seen on New Year's Day but not in the Sian's Gold Sprint."