Bossalina spanks Spankhurst on New Year’s Day at Rising Sun

Bossalina has avenged her defeat in the Horse of the Year title race by slamming a star-studded field that included Horse of the Year winner Spankhurst. She earned a comfortable win in the feature event of the Sino-Truck Sprint at the Rising Sun Turf Club on New Year’s Day.
The Deleep Esreepersaud-owned and trained dark bay daughter of Street Boss and Headmistress defeated recent import Stolen Money, Spankhurst, and John Bull, with the crowd urging on the mare for a very popular victory as the light began to set on Rising Sun.
This was sweet revenge for Esreepersaud. On Boxing Day last year, Bossalina was beaten by Spankhurst at Port Mourant, and that defeat was the reason why she wasn’t voted as the Horse of the Year.
Asked about the sever-year-old mare’s success, an elated Esreepersaud stated, “Last time we talk, the horse win (speaking about the person interviewing him). We need to speak more regularly. When I speak to you, I win.”
Sharing what was the turnaround that improved Bossalina for the New Year’s Day feature, Esreepersaud added: “She came into this race well prepared. The jockey rode to instructions, and that is how I am speaking to you; as it’s nice to see your horse win, it’s very emotional. She will remain in training; and, to me, she is the Horse of the Year for 2023 and 2024.”

Asked about the ride, Jockey Patrick said, “The last race I rode, it did not have any speed, so I had to ride against her style of running. This time it had speed. When she was beaten (by) Spankhurst…the race had no speed. This time, I took her back, and gradually made my move.”
While not taking the focus from Bossalina, Spankhurst’s rider Colin Ross almost fell from his mount at the bottom turn because of an infringement caused by the rider of John Bull. On the first day of the racing season, rain and sun fought an alternating battle among themselves, while back on earth, at Rising Sun Turf Club race track, human and equine athletes battled for supremacy.
Trainer Damain Dharamjit and owner of the Jumbo Jet Racing Stables dominated the New Year’s Day seven-race card proceedings. Jumbo Jet Racing Stables did not have any runner in the opening event, and their raid started from the second race, with Twisted Jet trotting up under rider Colin Ross.
In the third race, Ross opted to ride American Traveller instead of Game Changer, and that proved to be a very big mistake; as young Ronaldo Appadu (replacing Ross) rode a waiting race and swooped on the field for a very easy win.
In the fourth race, wherein Guyana-bred horses competed, Country Rock gave Appadu back-to-back success by slamming favourite Money Time very easily.
Then it was all Jumbo Jet Racing Stables, Ross-Dharamjit. They won the 1,600-metre Derby, dominating with Firecracker, who scored readily from stablemates Flight Time and Scandal in the six-horse contest. Jockey Appadu’s riding skills on opening day of the 2024 racing suggest that he could be a very big threat to recently crowned Champion Jockey Ross.
After four races were run off, Appadu won two aboard Game Changer for owner Jumbo Jet Stables, trained by Dharamjit, and then took the 1,100-metre Guyana-bred two-year-old contest aboard Country Rock.
In the day’s opener, he finished in second aboard Shake The Bank, beaten by Donald Trump, ridden by Kevin Paul. He also finished second aboard GT Boss in the second race to Twisted Jet ridden by Ross. However, Ross bounced back by recording a treble on the card.
Racing action continues at Rising Sun on January 28, 2024.