Mon | May 6, 2024

Norblar, Divine Force end season with Vestia trophies

Published:Sunday | December 31, 2023 | 12:13 AMAinsley Walters - Gleaner Writer
NORBLAR, ridden by Christopher Mamdeen, easily wins the The Vesita Trophy (Division I) over seven-and-a-half furlongs, a three-year-old restricted allowance stakes at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer
NORBLAR, ridden by Christopher Mamdeen, easily wins the The Vesita Trophy (Division I) over seven-and-a-half furlongs, a three-year-old restricted allowance stakes at Caymanas Park yesterday.

NORBLAR AND United States-bred DIVINE FORCE impressively franked Mouttet Mile Day efforts behind CAPTAIN CALICO to win their respective divisions of yesterday’s Vestia Trophy at seven and a half furlongs.

NORBLAR, who ran a cracker behind CAPTAIN CALICO to finish third in a three-way photo from which second-place RHYTHM BUZZ recently returned as a convincing winner, cruised to the lead five and a half furlongs out in division one of the Vestia.

Travelling smoothly under Christopher Mamdeen, NORBLAR, taking advantage of 3-5 favourite MONEY MISER’s slow start from post-position one, entered the straight with an unmolested lead, which he comfortably extended to a five-and-a-half length winning margin in 1:32.2.

MONEY MISER, already burdened with topweight 123lb, improved into second past SECRET ADMIRAL approaching the home turn but was no match for in-flight NORBLAR carrying 117lb.

DIVINE FORCE similarly dominated division two, taking over from JOY IS GOLDEN midway the backstretch to outclass his local-bred rivals, who ran themselves into the ground in a vain chase, giving way to ALL FOR LOVE, who closed along the rail for second inside the final half-furlong.

Similar to NORBLAR, DIVINE FORCE clocked 1:32.2 on a track running fast in recent weeks, favouring front-runners, who dominated the season-ending meet.

Owner-trainer Oral Hayden’s ‘Unruly’ pair, UNRULY DUDE and UNRULY BOSS, landed the opening event and the fourth race at five and a half and five furlongs straight, respectively.

Patrick Lynch saddled two all-the-way winners – SUGAR DADDY beating four-year-old and upwards maidens and CALIFORNIA GOLD – who survived a steward’s enquiry and jockey’s objection to keep the closing event for non-winners of two races and imported maidens.

Mamdeen’s win aboard NORBLAR and victory astride JON P in third saw him sharing jockeys’ honours with Philip Parchment, who was made to sweat the objection and steward’s enquiry against 9-5 chance CALIFORNIA GOLD after earlier booting home UNRULY BOSS.

A new season of racing at Caymanas Park gets under way on Monday with the New Year’s Day Trophy, McKay Security Trophy and Ian Levy Cup as featured on a 10-race programme, which offers a mandatory Reggae 6 payout.