Renaissance Frolic and Celestial Storm the ones to beat

Tomorrow’s running of the Sandy Lane Gold Cup will be the smallest in its 38-year history.

What was to be a nine-horse field in the most prestigious horse race in the English speaking Caribbean is now down to eight, following the withdrawal of St Lucian entrant Bayou this morning.

However, the absence of the gelding will not affect tomorrow’s high quality field.

Renaissance Frolic, owned by seven-time Gold Cup winner Sir David Seale, still looks like the biggest challenger to last year’s winner Celestial Storm. He has won three of his last four starts in the USA and is also coming off a fourth place finish in his last start, the Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes at Fairgrounds on December 21, 2019.

Renaissance Frolic will be ridden by Rico Walcott, who won his first and only Gold Cup in 2015, and is trained by Barbadian Saffie Joseph Jr who created history by becoming the first Bajan trainer to win a grade 1 race in the USA when Math Wizard won the Pennsylvania Derby last year.

Defending champion Celestial Storm or the ‘Grey Ghost’ as she is called in local racing circles, looks fit and ready to capture her second Gold Cup.

Celestial Storm will be looking to create history as no horse has ever won the Diamonds International, Coolmore Home of Champions and Gold Cup in a row. She won Diamonds and Coolmore races in her last two starts.

The Roger Parravicino owned mare is the only mare in the race, similarly to last year, and has drawn gate four.

Champion jockey Rasheed Hughes will be in the saddle looking for a second Gold Cup win.

Rising Star, owned by Legends of Racing, ran a top-class race in the Coolmore on February 1, after being knocked around a bit.

The 4-year-old colt trained by Sylvester Ollivierre who is a Vincentian by birth but grew up in Barbados, has won Stakes race in Canada where he now lives but says winning a Gold Cup will be the crown of his career.

Rising Star who placed third in the Queen’s Plate Prep at Woodbine has drawn gate 5 with Chris Husbands – the older brother of Rasheed Hughes – in the saddle.

Night Prowler, the second entry of Sir David Seale ran third in last year’s event and should not be counted out.

Night Prowler will be ridden by Jalon Samuel and has drawn gate 6.

St Lucia will be represented for the first time in the gold cup with Colonel’s Pride owned by the China Horse Club, which also owned USA Triple Crown hero, Justify.

Colonel’s Pride will be ridden by Chinese jockey Chen Li and is trained by South African Deon Visser.

Colonel’s Pride finished second in the Pitons Cup, the Caribbean’s richest race, in St Lucia on December 13th.

Bodie Tap will be the second horse in the race going after a hattrick in his last two starts.

Owned by Mark Goodridge and trained by Rommell Lovell the 4-year-old colt looks sharp.

Lovell said although Bodie Tap has not raced since September 7, 2019, he is fit as he has been swimming and working out.

He will be ridden by 2007 Sandy Lane Gold Cup winning jockey Rickey Walcott.

Trinidad will be represented by Trini Aviator who is owned by David Ojar and trained by John Obrian.

Trini Aviator won his last start on February 8, in Trinidad and he has drawn gate 9 and will be ridden by Panama born jockey Nobel Abrego.

Rounding off the field will be Antiguan runner Burnadines, who had only one start since last year’s Gold Cup, that being the last race day in Barbados when he placed fifth out of six runners.

However, his connections are hopeful he can improve on that performance.

Bernadine will be ridden by 2019 Barbados Derby-winning jockey Rico Prescod and is trained by Kenny Joesph.

Post time for the first race on the nine race card 12:15 p.m. and the Gold Cup, which is the eight race, will run at 5 p.m. with a purse of  $214 000.