Fri | Mar 29, 2024

God Of Love rules over all

Published:Monday | November 29, 2021 | 12:07 AMAinsley Walters/Gleaner Writer
GOD OF LOVE (left), ridden by Robert Halledeen, wins the Gerry Skelton Memorial Trophy ahead of ONE DON (right), over five and a half furlongs at Caymanas Park in St Catherine yesterday.
GOD OF LOVE (left), ridden by Robert Halledeen, wins the Gerry Skelton Memorial Trophy ahead of ONE DON (right), over five and a half furlongs at Caymanas Park in St Catherine yesterday.

GOD OF LOVE outbattled GO DEH GIRL by a half-length in what turned out to be a match race on the lead in the Gerry Skelton Memorial at five and a half furlongs yesterday.

Down in class among overnight allowance runners, the level at which he had won his lone race this season, GOD OF LOVE used his back class to keep GO DEH GIRL honest, rallying under a stirring ride from Robert Halledeen after being headed off in the stretch run.

Defying topweight 126lb, GOD OF LOVE won in a fast 1:06.2 after disputing splits of 22.4 and 45.2, handing Halledeen his second winner on the 10-race card after landing the fifth with PROSECO in driving finish over MORSE CODE.

Halledeen shared the day’s honours with Oneil Mullings, who rode back-to-back winners, starting with a whopping 62-1 victory astride Ryan Darby’s CASUAL AFFAIR in the sixth, before booting home VICE CHERRY PIE at 7-2 in the seventh.

Jason DaCosta saddled two winners, out-of-class DRUMMER BOY, who returned lame after beating $450,000 claimers at six furlongs in the eighth, before closing the card with SUDDEN FLIGHT at five furlongs straight.

DaCosta’s two-timer propelled him approximately $620,000 clear of two-time defending champion Anthony Nunes in their stakes battle with December’s eight meets to decide the title race.

Racing continues on Saturday with December’s opening meet.

ainsley.walters@gleanerjm.com