The Unbeaten three-year-old Cape Canaveral which is owned by Merlin Samlalsingh and trained by Glenn Mendez walked away with the 'Lion's Share ' of the awards at Friday's Jetsam Awards function which was held at the Queen's Park Oval.
In a quiet celebration of the Sport of Kings, Cape Carnaveral dominate the night's proceeding climaxing with being named at the Horse of The Year 2018.
Samlalsingh's thoroughbred is unbeaten in four starts and won the Trinidad Derby in the process when he outran the much vaunted General JN.
Cape Canaveral was named as champion West Indian bred Stayer and took two other titles – the Champion Three-Year-Old and Champion West Indian-bred three-year-old colt and gelding as he blasted to stardom on the night.
The John O’Brien trained filly Shes So Spectacula, as was expected, took two categories on the night's programme which took place at the Oval's Century Ballroom, Queen's in St Clair, Port-of-Spain.
The filly which ran faster than the boys in the St Ann’s Stakes when skating home by a distance and was named as the champion West Indian bred two-year-old filly prize along with the champion two-year-old of the 2019 season.
The Chevan Maharaj owned filly had no peers at juvenile level and was certainly the best juvenile in training.
Early Bird got the better of Regal Intension in the as the top Juvenile colt.
The easiest winner on the Awards’ categories is the Glenn Mendez trained filly Streaking Far, which looks shoed-in for the champion West Indian bred filly. The Laurence Bermont owned filly from made it two for two when taking the second award for locally bred horses.
President of the Arima Race Club (ARC) Baskaran Bassawh said in his short address that "Racing in Trinidad and Tobago will return to being the mecca in the Caribbean."
Former Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority Chairman Joe Hadeed spoke in glowing terms of the contribution of two stalwarts in the racing fraternity Merlin Samlalsingh and Kama Maharaj. Hadeed intimated that these two gentlemen have kept racing afloat with what they put in place with the Betting Levey Board to ensure taxes and revenue were paid. "He said, "We are not in the best spot at present but, they have worked tirelessly to ensure that racing stayed afloat. They must be recognised for their contribution to racing.'
Three jockeys were placed into the "Hall of Fame' they were Brian Harding, Rajpaul Rajkumar and Champion Jockey Ricky Jadoo who won the jockey championship at the ripe old age of fifty-two.
Jetsam Awards 2018 Honour Roll
The Champion Imported Stayer - Nuclear Power winner of the Gold Cup.
The Champion Imported Sprinter Category - Whisper Light.
Champion Native Bred 3 Y.O Sired and Foaled in T&T - Streaking Far
Champion Native Bred 4 Y.O. and over Sired and Foaled in T&T - Sunset Cloud
Champion W.I. Bred Sprinter - Rocket Wheels
Champion W.I. Bred Stayer - Cape Canaveral
Champion Turf Performer - Commanding Fashion
Horse of the Year - Cape Canaveral