Tobago takes Emancipation feature

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The veteran campaigner TOBAGO chalked up his 13th career win at Caymanas Park yesterday, running on strongly over the last 200 metres to win the Emancipation Day Trophy feature (claiming $550,000-$500,000) over 1300 metres in decisive fashion.

Ridden by back-to-form apprentice Richard Mairs for trainer Welsh Soutar and owner Sweety Man, TOBAGO, running at odds of 9-2 in an eight-strong field, won by 1 1/4 lengths from long-time leader GAMBOA (5-1) with Oneil Mullings aboard. while in third place, another 3 1/4 lengths away, was 5-2 chance LIKKLE BIT, the mount of champion jockey Omar Walker.

Big disappointment was the performance of the 6-5 favourite NATURALLY ROYAL, who finished a floundering last after failing to go the early pace. Coming off an impressive win on a similar claiming tag last time out, the six-year-old gelding, who changed hands (claimed) after his last race on July 10, finished in distress (eased) and indications are he went lame during the race.

TOBAGO, on the other hand, broke smartly to dispute the early lead, but was quickly taken off the pace to allow GAMBOA to lead comfortably into the straight from 9-2 chance SHE'S MAGIC. In the end, GAMBOA was to prove no match for the fast-finishing TOBAGO, who went by in the last 100 metres for his second consecutive win and his third from 11 starts this season.

Bred by Ruth Hussey, the nine-year-old bay gelding by Kdanzc out of Nuclear Explosion was claimed out of his last race by Soutar, who reprogrammed him for this particular race.

"I claimed him from Ryan Darby in good condition after winning over a mile last time out and although this was a competitive field on paper, I knew that if he was enterprisingly ridden, could get up in the nick of time," said Soutar.

"Mairs rode a perfect race and all in all, I'm happy that the horse was not claimed ... nobody wants a nine-year-old at this level," he was quick to add, "but this is no ordinary nine-year-old."

Mairs had a second winner on the card in 2-1 chance ESTO PERPETUA for trainer Peter-John Scully in the fifth race over 1100 metres for four-year-olds and up (non-winners of three).

Despite walking out of the starting gate, ESTO PERPETUA recovered quickly on the outside to overtake the early leader SKIPPING SUE (8-5) at the half mile, moving away in the straight to win by all of 6 1/2 lengths from the evens favourite MING LEI, covering the distance in the fairly good time of 1:07.0.

On a day when no trainer saddled more than one winner, first-season conditioner Gordon Lewis posted 3-1 chance BLENDER (made most) to win the sixth race over the round five course for maiden two-year-olds, with Carlton Malcolm astride. BLENDER is owned by the trainer.