Trainer Derek Mosca, who scored a double on Boxing Day, gets a handshake from President George Maxwell-Richards. Mosca had a good 2011 season landing 205 winners to place second behind champion John O'Brien
THE 2011 Arima Race Club will kick off the first day of the 2012 racing season with a l0-race card at Santa Rosa Park on New Year’s holiday (Monday).
First Citizens Bank will sponsor the two feature races both over 1100 metres on the turf- the First Citizens Classic for West Indian-bred 3.yo, which carries a purse of $150,000 and the First Citizens Sian’s Gold Sprint (Grade 11) with a similar purse.
Legally Ready, which was favourite to win the St. Ann’s Stakes for Fillies over 1,350 metres on Boxing Day and ended up third, will have Canada-based champion jockey Emille Ramsammy again in the saddle.
All eight runners will be trying the turf for the first time and it can be a guessing game for punters as they will have to rely on those bred for the “grass.”
In the Sian’s Gold Sprint there are also eight runners taking part.
Ramsammy has been booked by owner Shivam Maharaj to ride Youaresobad, which won on Boxing Day over 1200 metres.
This three-year-old American-bred colt, which has chalked up a second and a win in his two starts since coming to Trinidad, is bred for the turf.
Champion turf performers in the event are Raging Halo, Personal Exchange, First to Fly and Joezel.
The winner can come from either Youaresobad, Personal Exchange and First to Fly with Joezel being the big danger.
In the race for 3 y.o and Over for horses rated 100-80, B’ Passion, who was the victorious in one of the two US$100,000 races on the inaugural Caribbean Nations Challenge Day on December 3, is heading the list of 12 entrants.
Mobthewarrior, who is among the declared runners placed fifth in last year’s Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Race Track in Canada. The colt will be making his Santa Rosa Park debut and can pull off the upset.
Ramsammy, who rode on Boxing Day, has the leg up on eight horses.
There are four Hi-5 races on the day’s card, which can provide punters with some handsome dividends.
