Heart of Gold wins GG Stakes
Published:Tuesday | October 19, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer
HEART OF GOLD, running as the 4-5 favourite, stayed on strongly to win the $1.3 million Governor General's Stakes grade one feature over 2000 metres in decisive fashion at Caymanas Park yesterday, enabling champion jockey Omar Walker and champion trainer Wayne DaCosta to complete the feature race double over the two-day Heroes Racing Carnival.
On Saturday, DaCosta and stable-jockey Walker, along with owner Elizabeth DaCosta (the trainer's wife), teamed up to win the $2.95 million Supreme Ventures-sponsored Cash Pot 'Only One For Me' Trophy race over 1200 metres with FATTY BUM BUM.
The large holiday crowd, headed by Finance and Public Service Minister, Audley Shaw, saw the five-year-old mare HEART OF GOLD record her first win in grade one company in the GG Stakes, notching her fourth win from 10 starts this season.
The daughter of Natural Selection-Wild Heart chased tearaway leader HE'S REALLY OK (3-1), followed by last year's winner, AD INFINITUM (3-1), before going by the 2009 Derby winner, HE'S REALLY OK, leaving the 600-metre pole and racing two lengths clear at the final bend.
She responded to a bustling ride from Walker to win by 1 1/2 lengths from the fast-finishing pair of VONALMIGHTY (5-2) and RIVER STYX (15-1) in a field of six.
The big guns
HEART OF GOLD covered the distance in the fairly good time of 2.08.2 and according to DaCosta, has booked her place in the November 13 Superstakes where she will come up against the big guns - HOMBRE, THE GUV and Triple Crown winner, MARK MY WORD.
Bred by DaCosta, HEART OF GOLD has now won seven races from 24 starts lifetime and $4.2 million in stakes.
Later in the afternoon, the 74-1 outsider, PRIME MINISTER, scored a stunning upset in the $1 million secondary feature (overnight allowance) for the Ace Supercentre Trophy over 1820 metres.
Held up in mid-field as ENGLISH STORM, LITTLE WASP and the even-money favourite, UNDAUNTED, alternated in the lead, PRIME MINISTER stormed through midway the last furlong under apprentice Jevvanne Erwin to silence the crowd, winning by 1 1/4 lengths from the 2007 Superstakes winner, MAJOR MAYER (17-1), in a field of 12.
A two-turn specialist, PRIME MINISTER, a six-year-old dark bay gelding by Royal Minister out of Prime Plus, is owned and trained by Patrick 'Wacky' Lynch.
On a day when trainers DaCosta and Gary Subratie posted two winners each and Walker and Dane Nelson rode two each, odds-on favourite UNCLE KEN (Shane Nelson up) and JUSTIN ON FIRE (Nelson up) won the respective divisions of the Hi-Pro Stables Choice Feeds Trophy 2-y-o race over 1300 metres, both in fine style.
Jockey Richard Mitchell also notched his 400th career win aboard 5-2 chance, ADANNA, in the ninth race. He has been riding since 1996.