Jockey Andre Martin stands tall aboard HOMBRE as the four-year-old gelding scores a stunning upset in yesterday's ADL 'Blanca Nieves' Superstakes over 2000 metres at Caymanas Park. - Colin Hamilton/Photographer
HOMBRE, running at gigantic odds of 52-1 with Andre Martin aboard, turned the 31st running of the ADL 'Blanca Nieves' Superstakes into a procession at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Trained by Noel Ennevor for owner/breeder Wessel Burnett, the four-year-old bay gelding by Pat N. Jac out of the Slick Trick mare Muchacha Favourita stunned the huge 'Superday' crowd in winning the prestigious mile and quarter race by 4 1/4 lengths from RUM TALK and last year's winner AD INFINITUM in a field of 13 top-class horses.
While HOMBRE had things pretty much his own way, the betting for favouritism was extremely close. Indeed, three horses - RUM TALK, SAINT CECELIA and AD INFINITUM - were sent off 5-2 joint favourites, with the Philip Feanny-trained RUM TALK under leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths selling a handful of tickets more than the others in a star-studded field, which included the reigning 'Horse of the Year' ALSAFRA, the Derby winner HE'S REALLY OK along with the 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner SAINT CECELIA.
passing the stands
It was the 18-1 chance IT IS I who led from ALSAFRA (17-1) and HOMBRE passing the stands for the first time, but as they sorted themselves out, HOMBRE was soon sent in chase of the free-running filly.
HOMBRE was sent through by Martin approaching the 1000-metre pole. But by the time they flashed past the half-mile marker, SAINT CECELIA, who was always prominent, had already gone in chase under Shane Ellis.
It developed into a two-horse race as they galloped towards the final bend, at which stage HE'S REALLY OK (4-1) had hooked reverse, RUM TALK was not closing fast enough and AD INFINIUM (badly outpaced) seemingly having a mountain to climb.
After turning for home two lengths clear of SAINT CECELIA, HOMBRE found another gear. Responding nicely to the right-hand stick, he moved away from a struggling SAINT CECELIA in mid-stretch for an emphatic victory, his fourth from nine starts this season, but his first in grade one company.
over the moon
Martin, smiling from ear to ear, was over the moon in winning this $6-million race for three-year-olds and up.
"I was very, very confident," he said. "This is my favourite horse and although he was beaten into third place by AD INFINITUM in the Governor General's Stakes last time out, I knew things would be different today."
Ennevor said he gave the jockey no instructions, as he knew the horse very well.
"Andre was the right jockey for him today. He rode a perfect race and as far as I'm concerned, the horse only had one danger and that was my other runner ALLIEDFORCE, who finished fourth ... Trust me, I did nothing different, but HOMBRE was a different horse today," added the veteran trainer.
On a day when Richard Azan saddled three winners, including ROLEX (7-1) under Dick Cardenas in the Caribbean Dreams Juvenile Sprint, the Wayne DaCosta-trained AHWHOFAH (Andrew Ramgeet up) won the Tetley Caribbean Sprint for the second straight year, while LADY HASTINGS (6-1) romped the 'Bop' Imported Mile with title-chasing jockey Paul Francis riding for trainer Tony Kirlew.