Roman’s hat trick steals the show

RADDESH ROMAN stole the show with a hat trick yesterday in his battle with Tevin Foster, notching eight unanswered winners in two racemeets, tying his rival on 98 wins atop the jockeys’ standings.

Similar to last Saturday when he rode four consecutive winners to close the programme with a five-timer, Roman wrapped the nine-race card with his hat trick, including feature-race winners BRENDA BOY and IMPRESSIVE FORCE.

Foster had five rides on the card but no response to Roman, who rode a patient race astride GREAT TRICK in the seventh to get off the mark, guiding the 3-5 favourite to a come-from-behind-win at six and a half furlongs among five-year-olds, non-winners of four races.

GREAT TRICK was outclassed by HIGH DIPLOMACY two weeks’ prior, beaten 10 lengths by the market-springer on a sudden turnaround in form reporting from a new barn.

Roman marked his second win with a measured ride aboard 9-5 chance BRENDA BOY in the Reprieve Trophy at nine furlongs, pacing the Savoy Stomp-Delightful Brenda colt among the chasing pack while LUCY IN THE SKY tore away with OIL MACHINE tailing down the backstretch.

Moving as a team with 13-1 outsider KAYLYN MELODY leaving the half-mile marker, Roman opted to challenge outside the leaders coming off the home turn whereas Aaron Chatrie took his favoured rail route, setting up a battle to the wire.

BRENDA BOY outfinished KAYLYN MELODY by a neck, pulling Roman within one winner of Foster, a deficit he erased aboard United States-bred IMPRESSIVE FORCE in the troubled Ronron Trophy with an explosive last-furlong finish.

Racing as a backmarker with MACK AND ROME three furlongs out, IMPRESSIVE FORCE mended quickly to swoop down in a challenging position alongside stablemate and compatriot, RICHES TO RAGS, both facing a wall of horses coming off the home turn.

Long-time leader SHE’S A GODGIFT quickened with fellow United States-bred COMMANDER Z chasing and QUEEN OF SOUL moving into contention along the rail where she would repeatedly hinder a charging RICHES TO RAGS throughout the stretch run.

Ridden out by Roman, IMPRESSIVE FORCE notched his second win in three weeks, accelerating rapidly from mid-track a furlong out to reel in SHE’S A GODGIFT a half-furlong out, powering home four lengths clear in 1:14.0 ahead of rail-running QUEEN OF SOUL, who was afterwards disqualified and placed third behind RICHES TO RAGS, handing Philip Feanny’s foreigners the exacta.

Meanwhile, trainer Jason DaCosta’s LOVISA, owned by Lisa Watson, daughter of champion owner Carlton Watson, won Race 1 in Series 2 of the BGLC-TOBA Millionaires Series, the second event for two-year-old maidens, local and foreign-bred at four furlongs straight.

Speedy LOVISA, Soul Warrior-Palace Gold, outsprinted six rivals, including three Canadians and an American-bred, to win the $1 million BGLC-TOBA bonus, plus purse as advertised, after being supplemented for eligibility by his owner.

LOVISA reproduced his sparkling exercise gallops, clocking 47.3 for a comfortable victory ahead of American UNSPUN, who closed fast for second past Canadian SASH IT, who had tried matching strides with the winner.

DaCosta has, so far, been the only trainer whose owners have netted the $1m bonus after three races in the tri-part series, landing Race 1 of Series 1 with MISS MONEYPENNY on August 1 in the BGLC-TOBA Juvenile Dash at three furlongs for two-year-olds, native-bred, maidens.

The BGLC-TOBA Millionaires Series continues on October 12 with Race 2 in Series 3 carrying a $2 million jackpot, a $1m carryover, due to Race 1’s winner, Gary Subratie’s THE GENERAL, being ineligible for the bonus.

THE GENERAL did not meet eligibility requirements of either falling under the hammer at the 2022 TOBA Mixed Sale or through the required $150,000 supplementation.

Racing continues at Caymanas Park this afternoon with another nine-race programme.