Independence Cup is feature race at Santa Rosa

WHEN racing action resumes at Santa Rosa Park in Arima, on August 31, punters will witness a five-race holiday card.

The feature attraction on the day's programme will be the staging of the Independence Cup, a grade one race that would be open to all horses three years old and over that will travel over 1,800 metres on the turf course.

It is expected that American bred Sneaky Cheeky would be sent off as pre-race favourite after winning her debut impressively at the beginning of this month.

This time, filly Sneaky Cheeky may have a tougher assignment as she will tackle two other American bred runners in Striking Chrome that would come from the barn of Clyde Rambaran and Kitten With A Whip that would fly the flag of the Mendez stables.

Also entered in this mouth-watering contest would be Hello World; Princess Aruna; Crown Prince; and In The Headlines that will all race for champion trainer John O'Brien.

Turfites will also have the pleasure in seeing El Chico Malo gracing the local curcit for the first time. Punters would witness derby contenders Secret Pages, Hot Rod Kashton and Unbelievable all having their final prep races before the Trinidad Derby on September 24.

Post time for the five-race holiday card is slated at 1.30 pm.

Racing card:

RACE 1: (1:30PM) MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 3 Y.O. AND OVER HORSES RATED 30-0. 1200 METRES. $16,837.

421*1. UKRAINE*58*T. PHILLIPS(1)

2D4*2. PURE STRIKE*49.5*R. M BALGOBIN(3)

263*3. D'HUMMINGBIRD*58*D. KHELAWAN

583*4. QUASIMOTO*49.5*N.MOHAMMED

461*5. SOCA SYNERGY*53.5*R. JADOO

222*6. JCPEYTON*56*J. STEPHEN

752*7. EMPRESS HASSAN*58*E. DANIEL

RACE 2: (2:15PM) NATIVE BRED 3 Y.O. & OVER MAIDENS. 1100 METRES(TURF). 16,837.

525*1. LULU BABY*54*D. RODRIGO

572*2. ZIAH*54*RI. HERNANDEZ

3*3. BAYOU JAZZ*57*D. KHELAWAN

6*4. BOLD AND BRAVE*57*O. MOHAMMED(1)

333*5.SECRET PAGES*54*R. M BALGOBIN(3)

3*6. TEQUILA ROSE*54*R. JADOO

355*7. HOT ROD KASHTON*57*E. DANIEL

222*8. MISS SUNAK*54*T. PHILLIPS(1)

RACE 3: (3:00PM) MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 3 Y.O. AND OVER HORSES RATED 60-45. 1350 METRES. $21,429.

621*1. MAGNIFICO*49*T. PHILLIPS(1)

*2. EL CHICO MALO*55*R. JADOO

544*3. JUST EXHALE*54.5*E. DANIEL

*4. THE GODDESS NIKE*53.5*D. KHELAWAN

111*5. HEADLINES AGAIN*50.5*N. MOHAMMED

354*6. PRINCESS ROYAL*49.5*R. M BALGOBIN(3)

222*7. ARSALAN*57.5*J. STEPHEN

442*8. DAVINDRA*51*RI .HERNANDEZ

RACE 4: (3:45PM) MODIFIED BENCHMARK HANDICAP 3 Y.O. AND OVER HORSES RATED 40-25.

343*1. COMANDANTE*57*RI. HERNANDEZ

113*2. MONA LISA*57*D. KHELAWAN

111*3. SCHWARZENEGGER*54*R.M BALGOBIN(3)

D54*4. DUSTY ROSE*49.5*D. RODRIGO

124*5. TWITTER KING*54.5*N. SAMAROO

731*6. PRINCE CONNOR*57*T. PHILLIPS(1)

341*7. LITTLE LADY*58.5*R. JADOO

412*8. UNBELIEVABLE*56*N. MOHAMMED

RACE 5: (4:30 PM) INDEPENDENCE CUP (GR 1) OPEN TO ALL HORSES 3 Y.O. & OVER. 1800 METRES (TURF). $57,500.

111*1. HELLO WORLD*57*D. KHELAWAN

443*2. PRINCESS ARUNA*54*N. MOHAMMED

5*3. STRIKING CHROME*54*O. MOHAMMED

133*4. MIDNIGHT LOVER(TO)*54*J. STEPHEN

464*5. LEONARDO ANGEL*54*E. DANIEL

231*6. CROWN PRINCE*57*N. SAMAROO

*7. KITTEN WITH A WHIP*54*R. JADOO

322*8. IN THE HEADLINES*51*R. M BALGOBIN

1*9. SNEAKY CHEEKY*54*T. PHILLIPS