Mohanlal storms home to land Announcers’ Trophy

Three-year-old bay colt Mohanlal produced a telling late burst to win the fifth running of the $1.25-million Caymanas Park Announcers’ Trophy feature at Caymanas Park on Saturday. Making only his third start at this Overnight Allowance level, the Richard Azan-trained Mohanlal showed that third time was the charm, powering past rivals in deep stretch to land the six-and-a-half-furlong (1,300m) contest in decisive fashion. Ridden by champion jockey Raddesh Roman, Mohanlal was outpaced early and settled well off the pace as Formalist (Tevin Foster) and Danka (Omar Walker) burned up the track down the backstretch, with favourite I Dream Again (Robert Halledeen) poised just behind the leaders. While the front-runners duelled, Roman kept Mohanlal covered up and biding his time. Approaching the distance, the son of Casual Trick – Raise Your Voice began to wind up, slipping into third behind Formalist and I Dream Again. Once Roman asked for the final effort in deep stretch, Mohanlal found another gear, sweeping by both DaCosta runners to win going away by two lengths in the end. DaCosta still filled the minor placings, with I Dream Again staying on for second and Formalist holding third. The winning time for the 1,300-metre trip was 1:19.1, with splits of 23.3, 47.2 and 1:12.3. It was the second winner on the card for Roman, who also won aboard KP Choice in the fifth race to give newly licensed trainer Khamoal Nichol his first career winner. Also with two winners on the 10-race card were champion and leading trainer Jason DaCosta and leading rider Tevin Foster. DaCosta and Foster teamed up with Birthday King to win the Hover Craft Trophy, but only after the Stewards’ Room intervened.Birthday King finished second behind stablemate Big Stack, ridden by Robert Halledeen, but after a Stewards’ inquiry and a jockey’s objection lodged by Foster, the colours of Big Stack were taken down and the race awarded to Birthday King. DaCosta’s other winner was Brilliant Boy, ridden by Halledeen, in the eighth race, while Foster won aboard the Gary Subratie-trained God’s Plan in the ninth race for his two winners. The action continues with races this Saturday and Sunday. — Ruddy Allen