Opinion: Caribbean jockeys from Trinidad and Tobago discover house in Vancouver on prime of their thoroughbreds at Hastings Racecourse.
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Proprietor/coach Dave Milburn is having a tough time in his quest to search out palm timber that he desires to place subsequent to his barn at Hastings Racecourse.
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“I’m making an attempt to make the ‘Islanders’ really feel like they’re at house,” stated Milburn.
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The veteran conditioner was referring to the group of jockeys using at Hastings that got here from the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. The riders are Learie Seecharan, Kimal Santo, Kerron Khelawan, Ridge Balgobin and Brian Boodramsingh.
Milburn’s mom is Trinidadian.
“My Uncle Joe raced horses there and I spent a while there as a baby,” stated Milburn, who solely makes use of jockeys from Trinidad and Tobago, most notably Seecharan.
It’s a strong group of riders and on June 25 the Trinidadian’s gained 5 of the seven races at Hastings with Seecharan successful twice for Milburn.
Coach Mel Snow likes what he sees.
“It’s nice to have them right here,” he stated. “I feel that is one of the best general crop of riders we’ve had for awhile.”
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Probably the most achieved is Boodramsingh, who was the Champion Jockey in his native nation eight occasions.
Boodramsingh is at present sitting fourth within the standings at Hastings, and he feels with extra expertise he’ll get higher at working his manner across the just-over-five-furlongs’ oval.
“It’s totally different using on the smaller monitor, however I get used to it,” he stated. “I’m nonetheless studying and final weekend I gained two races on Saturday and one on Sunday, so it’s going properly.”
With racing on the decline in Trinidad and Tobago, Boodramsingh was seeking to experience elsewhere. He was conscious of Hastings from studying about Learie and Lenny Seecharan within the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian newspaper. Lenny is at present using at Woodbine in Ontario.
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“The Guardian retains monitor of all of the riders from our nation and after trying round, I believed Hastings could be place for me to go,” he stated. “The individuals have been very pleasant and have made me really feel welcome. They make me really feel like I’m at house.”
Now, if Milburn might simply get these palm timber.
SATURDAY SELECTIONS
RACE 3: Snigger With Me is coming off a few robust sprints and will thrive stretching out to a center distance for the primary time this 12 months.
He’s skilled by Steve Henson who’s having a robust meet and, in accordance with Each day Racing Type’s Formulator, the previous 5 years has a 21 per cent strike price with horses going from a dash to a route.
It’ll additionally not damage having main rider Amadeo Perez aboard.
RACE 4: Koala was spectacular successful his newest on the identical degree and will get the same stalking journey with Silvino Morales using for coach Erik Gutierrez.
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RACE 6: Candy as Honey is stretching out to a center distance for the primary time, and contemplating the four-year-old B.C. bred daughter of Lent is out of Dearest Princess, a three-time route successful stakes’ winner, and that each of her older siblings are route winners, she is actually bred for the project.
Candy as Honey can also be dropping from $10,000 to $5,000 after a good effort June 25, and the previous couple of years coach Mel Snow has a 30 per cent strike price and a $2.43 ROI with horses reducing their worth in half by 50 per cent or extra.
Boodramsingh retains the mount.
Randy Goulding has been handicapping horses and writing for The Racing Type at Hastings Racecourse for greater than 30 years. His column will run weekly all through the racing season.
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