Rare win for Mojito in Caymanas Park feature

MOJITO, champion two-year-old in 2022, yesterday won his first race since landing last year’s Grade One Jamaica Cup by outfinishing American WALL STREET TRADER, who was deservedly stumped by the local-bred in his attempt to turn around woeful form shown in his previous run.

Attacking a smooth-looking WALL STREET TRADER, whose wide, sweeping move on the bridle took him past leader FORMALIST on the home turn, MOJITO saved ground under Tajay Suckoo to accelerate between horses in the stretch run of the six-furlong Arthur Jones Memorial.

MOJITO, who had not won a race in five outings since beating American GIRVANO in the Jamaica Cup at nine and a half furlongs last November, handed Suckoo his second winner on the nine-race card, shaking off WALL STREET TRADER’s rally to win the overnight-allowance event by a length and a half in 1:13.1 as the 4-5 favourite.

WALL STREET TRADER had finished 10 and a half-length behind third-place MOJITO at seven furlongs on August 6, never a factor in the event won by SUPREMASI beating INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD.

It was a run too bad to be true, WALL STREET TRADER uncharacteristically among the backmarkers, a contrast to his July 25 effort when leading fellow American IMJUSTAGIRL into the lane at six and a half furlongs.

Suckoo, who won the second event astride Michael Bernard’s home-bred DUTCHESS, shared riding honours with seven-pound claimer Everette Clunis, both impacting the Reggae 6 mandatory payout of $1,764,322 with upsetters.

Clunis gave legs to last Friday’s STAR Sport’s Reggae 6 warning, which predicted a bet “laden with tripwires for the mandatory payout”, opening the racecard with MOONLIGHT SONG at 15-1.

Suckoo followed-up in the second with DUTCHESS at 7-1, ditching more bettors, before RUM WITH ME won the third at 8-5, a sigh of relief for holders of tickets still standing on their way to the $1,764,322 payout.

However, after Clunis won the fourth with 6-1 chance LUCY ON THE GO, only 17 tickets were alive heading into the last two events won by favourites, NEVER DESPAIR, and FRATELLANZA, who landed the sixth in a thrilling head-bob over EVERYTHING KRISS.

Meanwhile, two-time defending champion jockey Raddesh Roman won aboard NEVER DESPAIR, his first trip to the winners’ enclosure since falling from MIDNIGHT GALAXY on July 25.

Roman’s rival, Tevin Foster, had greeted the champion jockey’s return to the saddle with a three-timer on Saturday, moving six clear atop the riders’ championship.