Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Freundel Stuart, presenting the Gold Cup to Kenneth Ramsay, while golden jockey Jalon Samuel and friends and family join the celebration at the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup yesterday at the Garrison Savannah.
Samuel’s got the golden touch
Barbados jockey Jalon Samuel etched his name on the pages of history with his golden touch, sending the Grand Stand at the Garrison Savannah and all the surrounding areas into a frenzy when he won the 2018 Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup aboard Sir Dudley Digges.
Samuel timed the run to perfection, asking the five-year-old Queen's Plate winner Sir Dudley Digges for more just before the final turn.
As they swung for home, Samuel brought Sir Dudley Digges up to the front on the outside of stablemate Shining Cooper, both owned by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey and trained by Michael Maker.
Samuel made it a hattrick, winning on Dorsett in 2016 and 2017 and now on Sir Dudley Digges in 2018. It was Ramsey's third Gold Cup victory after winning in 2014 and 2015.
The race leader Infrared was on the inside, but with nothing more to give, it was Sir Dudley Digges and Shining Cooper who thundered down the final straight and blew past Infrared, making it a race between the two stablemates to the line.
Coming from behind and starting a bit earlier may have worked in favour of Samuels, who kept Sir Dudley Digges going before saluting the cheering crowd in the Grand Stand, winning by half a horse length.
Infrared was third and Dorsett, who had to make the running from the back, was fourth.
When the gates flew it was Infrared with Rasheed Hughes in the saddle who went to the front and set the pace for most of the race before finally being passed on the home stretch.
Shining Copper, ridden by Rafael Hernandez, looked as though he wanted to go to the front, but was tucked in behind Infrared for the race, while Dorsett was at the back and Sir Dudley Digges not too far in front Dorsett.
Campaigner's Gold showed just past the halfway mark before Shining Copper came up.
It was here that Samuel made the run along, while Dorsett was also trying to come up and swung wide on the final turn and finished fourth.
Samuel's gold touch saw him win all of the feature races on the day, first on Celestial Storm in the Sandy Lane Spa Sprint Stakes and Trophy and then on Northern Star in the Tanglewood Stakes and Trophy.