Celestial Storm wins Boxing Day Trophy

By Kent Layne

The grey mare Celestial Storm won the Boxing Day Stakes and Trophy Grade 1 for a second time on Monday at the Garrison Savannah after taking it for the first time in 2019.  The seven-year-old five-time Grade 1 winner has now entered an elite group of horses to win the Boxing Day feature twice in its 35-year-old history

Not many imported horses in Barbadian history have won five Grade 1 races. The top mare has now won the Sandy Lane Gold Cup, Sandy Lane Spa Sprint, Coolmore Stakes and two Boxing Day Trophies under her belt and cemented herself as one of the greatest imported horses to come to Barbados.

As the six-horse field left 7.8 chute, four-year-old imported colt Terrain went straight to the lead as expected, while 2018 Barbados Derby and Boxing Day Trophy champion Gandalf was robbed of any chance to repeat his success of 2018 when his jockey Antonio Whitehall fell from the saddle at the start.

Terrain passed In the lead the first time around a reasonable grandstand crowd. He was ahead of Rising Star who like the leader was looking for a hattrick of wins. They were followed by Trini Aviator, Celestial Storm and Stealin bringing up the back marker.

Celestial Storm edges Trini Aviator to win the Boxing Day Trophy. (Picture by Eddie Belle)

Around the paddock bend loose horse Gandalf bolted to the outside rail as Terrain went the first two furlongs in 25.2 seconds. At this point Trini Aviator came up on the rails and passed Rising Star for second place.

The Richard Deane-trained Terrain passed the four furlong marker in 49.4 seconds with jockey Rickey Walcott. Trini Aviator with jockey N Rico Precod looking for his third win of the afternoon came with a dramactic rush and battled Terrain for the lead. As the two slugged it out down the home streach, a grey cloud streaked past on the outside in the shape of Celestial Storm who grabbed victory from Trini Aviator in a time of 136. 

Successful jockey Delano Lopez was all smiles winning his second grade 1 race of his career. He seems to have luck on Boxing Day having won his first Grade 1 race The Barbados Derby with War Eagle last year.

Terrain finished third. His owners, brothers Dan and Martin Raizman, may be sending him to Gulfstream Park, USA, to compete.

Stealin ran fourth and Rising Star who like the winner and third placed Terrain was 8 to 5 in the betting but might have lacking in fitness having not raced since September.

Winning owner and trainer Roger Parravicino enjoyed his fourth Boxing Day Trophy having trained Talkaboutluckey.

Payments forecast $39.25 and Trifecta $74.25.