Champion trainer John O'Brien continued his winning ways on Friday (observed as Labour Day) when he saddled three of the six winners on the Arima Race Club's six-race card at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.
O'Brien and champion jockey Dillon Khelawan both maintained their stranglehold on the local racing scene by winning half of the events contested.
The first of the O'Brien trio to walk into the winner's enclosure was the well-backed favourite Bourbon Blitz who made it look easy as he quickened away from his rivals in the second event to win eased down by 1 1/4 lengths.
When contacted O'Brien said, "This horse has been showing good form and today's rivals were a bit less than he was accustomed to and he won well."
Three-year-old Sydney another from the O'Brien barn broke her maiden status with an impressive victory in the third event. She pulled well clear of Red Alert to win by 7 1/2 lengths. She will now go for the second jewel of local racing Triple Crown the Midsummer Classic.
O'Brien said, "She did it well and really ran on strongly to the line. She continues to improve."
Better was yet to come and the performance of Soca Ecstacy was impressive. She made virtually all the running in the fourth event and hammered a good field by 16 1/4 lengths. She was well thought of earlier in her career and has continued to improve.
"This was a good performance and she won it in great style. Clearly, she keeps improving and her next assignment will be taking on the 'King' and unbeaten three-year-old Headliner in the Midsummer Classic," said O'Brien.
However, in the fifth event, the talented Have A Great Day was stopped by the 2024 Midsummer Classic winner Forever Grand which was trained by O'Brien until early this year. Have A Great Day looked set to win but once Tristan Phillips got Forever Grand going on the sloppy main track, he motored past Have A Great Day for a superb success. He is now trained by Ramesh Ramroop.
The day's best performers were jockey Khelawan and trainer O'Brien who both had three winners.
Racing takes a break and returns on August 1 (Emancipation Day), for the second jewel of local racing's Triple Crown, the Midsummer Classic, over 1,800 metres on the turf course.
