In a display of pure class and dominance, champion horse Hello World etched his name deeper into the history books of T&T horse racing on Boxing Day, yesterday, securing an historic third consecutive victory in the prestigious Grade I Gold Cup at Santa Rosa Park, Arima. The win came even as the field was narrowed when main contender Headliner, the Triple Crown champion, was scratched from the race.
Under the guidance of champion trainer John O’Brien and a masterful ride by champion jockey Dillon Khelawan, the five-year-old dark bay horse proved once again why he is the king of the Santa Rosa Park. He overcame a competitive field to claim the lion’s share of the $86,250 purse and will now go to Barbados to win the Tanglewood Stakes for a second consecutive year.
Running in the feature event of the Arima Race Club’s (ARC) Day 12 programme, the Poon Tip Stud Farm homebred didn’t just win; he dominated race five.
The 2,000-metre event began with an even break, though El Chico Malo was slightly slow to find his stride. In the early stages, Sneaky Cheeky and The Goddess Nike vied for the lead as the field passed the stands for the first time. As the runners headed into the backstretch, the pace intensified. Valiante briefly took the lead, but Khelawan kept Hello World poised in a perfect stalking position, just a length and a half off the pace.
With a half-mile left to run, Hello World cruised into the lead and just like 2024 it took another O’Brien-trained horse to come to attack into the far turn. As they rounded the final bend, The Goddess Nike, piloted by Brian Boodramsingh, launched a spirited challenge on the outside.
However, Khelawan would have none of this and asked Hello World to quicken again and that he did effortlessly. Turning into the home straight, Hello World found another gear, opening a two-length lead. Despite a gallant pursuit by The Goddess Nike, Hello World held sway to cross the line first, three lengths clear in a time of 2:10.2. The Goddess Nike stayed on for second, while El Chico Malo finished third in front of Valiante.
The next generation of West Indian stars took centre-stage in the Grade II Juvenile Championship. In a display of patience and raw late speed, King Jumbie emerged victorious, running down a determined pair of frontrunners to claim the $46,000 co-feature.
From the break of the 1,200m sprint, the race appeared to be a two-horse match. Dream Maker bounded away from the gates to take the early initiative but was immediately joined by Sweet Bird on the rail. The two locked in a ding-dong battle, going head-to-head through the far turn and into the home stretch, setting a taxing pace for the juvenile contest.
While the leaders duelled, jockey Jovika Boodramsingh kept the Lester Alexis-trained King Jumbie in a strategic third position, watching the battle unfold from just three lengths back. As the field passed the 400m mark and turned for home, the frontrunners began to feel the effects of their early exertion.
The momentum shifted decisively in the final furlong. Switching to the outside, King Jumbie, owned by Suraj Hayban, who also co-bred the winner alongside Victor Prescott,unleashed a powerful burst. The bay colt, by Nominee out of Princess Suri, swept past the leaders to win by a length, stopping the clock at 1:15.5. Sweet Bird showed immense heart to hold onto second, finishing a neck ahead of a tiring Dream Maker.
It was a stellar day for trainer O’Brien, who landed three wins on the card. For Poon Tip Stud Farm, it was a crowning achievement to see their homebred champion join the elite ranks of triple Gold Cup winners. The leading jockey for the day was Khelawan, who secured three wins.
As the sun set on Santa Rosa Park this Boxing Day, the racing community celebrated a true legend in Hello World, whose trio of Gold Cup titles will be discussed for years to come.
Adding to the festive atmosphere, the day featured the second edition of the “Hardest Mile,” a one-mile footrace around the sand track. Athletes competed for cash prizes between the horse races, testing their fitness against the unforgiving surface while the crowd cheered them on from the stands.
ARC Day 12 results
R1: MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 2 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 50-35 - 1,350M - $16,837
1*(5)*Soca Ecstacy*D Khelawan*57.0
2*(2)*Showtime*A Poon*56.0
3*(1)*Red Alert*T Phillips*56.0
4*(3)*Princess Royal*RM Balgobin*56.5
TIME: 1:26.2 DISTANCES: 2, neck, 7 3/4
$1 PARI: (5) $4.00
EX:$3.26 QUINELLA: $2.80
WINNER: 3 yo Dk b f Saint Vigeur/Soca Rhapsody (Market Rally)
OWNER: Lester Moore TRAINER: John O'Brien
BREEDER: Lester Moore
NON-RUNNER: Uncle Rog
R2: MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 2 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 30-0 - 1,500M (Turf) -$16,837
1*(3)*Capital Tee*S Sookhan*48.5
2*(2)*Zee Zee*J Arneaud*58.0
3*(5)*Dreamcatcher*A Poon*58.0
4*(1)*The Falcon*J Stephen*57.0
TIME: 1:36.2 DISTANCES: 4 3/4, 1 1/4, 7, Neck
$1 PARI: (2) $; $; (3) $
EXACTA:$69.59 QUINELLA: $19.30
TRIFECTA:$63.00
SUPERFECTA:$1,163.80
WINNER: 4 yo ch c Speechmaker/Star of Bethkehem (Stanley Park)
OWNER: Derek Balwant TRAINER: D Balwant
BREEDER: Derek Balwant
ALSO RAN: 5. Just Isa Bella D Khelawan 58.5, 6. Uncle Ben R Jadoo 57.0
R3: JUVENILE CHAMPIONSHIP (GR II R C, G & F) OPEN TO WI BRED 2 YO COLTS/GELDING & FILLIES - 1,200M - $46,000
1*(2)*King Jumbie*J Boodramsingh 55.0
2*(1)*Sweet Bird*B Boodramsingh 54.0
3*(6)*Dream Maker*D Khelawan 57.0
4*(5)*Band Of De Year*T Phillips 55.5
TIME: 1:15.2 DISTANCES: 1, Neck, 8, 5
$1 PARI: (2) $4.50; $2.20; (1) $1.50
EXACTA:$25.25 QUINELLA: $6.80
TRIFECTA:$23.45
SUPERFECTA:$92.30
WINNER: 2 yo b c Nominee/Princess Suri (Super Saver)
OWNER: Suraj Hayban TRAINER: Lester Alexis
BREEDER: Suraj Hayban & Victor Prescott
ALSO RAN: 5 Power House R Balgobin 52.0, 6. St Omer R Jadoo 55.0.
R4: MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 2 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 35-0 - 1,200M - $16,837
1*(3)*Daring Move*R Balgobin*51.0
2*(1)*Twitter King*R MBalgobin*56.5
3*(2)*Stock Broker*B Boodramsingh*53.5
4*(6)*Ukraine*A Balroop*55.5
TIME: 1:16.3 DISTANCES: 1, 5 1/4, 4, Head
$1 PARI: (3) $4.50; $2.20; (1) $1.50
EXACTA:$25.25 QUINELLA: $6.80
TRIFECTA:$23.45
SUPERFECTA:$92.30
WINNER: 2 yo b f Saint Vigeur/Blind Date (Gold Market)
OWNER: PT Racing TRAINER: Lester Alexis
BREEDER: N Poon Tip, G Harding, J O’Brien & R Hadeed
ALSO RAN: 5. Prince Connor J Boodramsing 58.5, 6. Destiny R Jadoo 56.5.
R5: GOLD CUP (GR I) OPEN TO WI BRED 3 YO & OVER & IMPORTED 2 YO & OVER - 2,000M - $86,250
1*(6)*Hello World*D Khelawan*57.0
2*(1)*The Goddess Nike*B Boodramsingh*54.0
3*(2)*El Chico Malo*J Boodramsingh*57.0
4*(3)*VALIANTE*J Stephen*56.5
TIME: 2:10.2 DISTANCES: 3, 27 3/4, 1/2, 15 1/2
$1 PARI: (6) $1.25; $1.05; (1) $1.05
EXACTA:$1.80 QUINELLA: $2.20
TRIFECTA:$4.25
SUPERFECTA:$33.05
WINNER: 5 yo dk b h Ten Meropa/Grand Riviere (Great Team)
OWNER: Poon Tip Stud Farm Limited TRAINER: John O’Brien
BREEDER: Poon Tip Stud Farm Limited
ALSO RAN: 5. Sneaky Cheeky A Poon 54.0, 6. Striking Chrome R Jadoo 54.0
R6: MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 2 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 40-25 - 1,500M (Turf) - $16,837
1*(1)*Free Pass*J Boodramsing*57.0
2*(7)*Creme De La Creme *D Khelawan*58.5
3*(3)*Schwarzenegger*J Stephen*57.5
4*(2)*Mona Lisa*T Phillips*58.0
5*(6)*Hot Rod Kashton *A Balroop3*55.5
TIME: 1:33.3 DISTANCES: 2, 6 1/4, 1, 3/4
$1 PARI: (1) $2.70; $1.45; (7) $2.15; (3) $2.65
EXACTA:$16.15 QUINELLA:$6.60
TRIFECTA:$171.10
SUPERFECTA:$2,762.88 HI-5:$7,566.60
WINNER: 3 yo B c Nominee/Julie (Vegas No Show)
OWNER: Curtis Emmanuel TRAINER: G Emmanuel
BREEDER: Curtis Emmanuel
ALSO RAN: 6. Marmalade R Jadoo 58.0, 7. Brutal Execution B BoodramsingH 57.0, 8. Crystal Alert R Balgobin 56.5, 9. Bold And Brave S Sookhan 51.5, 10. Unbelievable A Poon 54.5, 11. Belmontiswe J Arneaud 57.5
