The 40th Sandy Lane Gold Cup (G1) at the Garrison Savannah racecourse near Bridgetown, Barbados will be run on March 4 and this week, multiple Canadian champion rider PATRICK HUSBANDS elected to pick up the mount on Ken Ramsey’s TALLAHATCHIEBRIDGE for the $200,000 (BAR, about $132,000 Canadian) turf race.

Husbands, who is from Barbados and recently rode Woodbine invader So Suave (Ire) to an easy win in the Coolmore ‘Home of Champions’ Stakes at the Garrison, the local prep for the Gold Cup. So Suave, a six-year-old horse by Make Believe (GB), is owned by Nalicia Cozier and trained by Jean-Marc Cozier. Antonio Bishop will ride So Suave in the Gold Cup.

At the final subscription for the Gold Cup, which is run at 8.95 furlongs, owner Ken Ramsey, a three-time winner of the famous Caribbean race, nominated two horses, Tallahatchiebridge and recent claim American Diamond. Husbands, who rode Ramsey’s Major Marvel to victory in the 2014 Gold Cup, has chosen the former. Both horses are trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., a leading trainer in Florida who is from Barbados.

Tallahatchiebridge is a four-year-old colt by Will Take Charge – Sheba’s Secret by Kingmambo, who won a first level allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 4 at one-mile on turf with an 80 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.  The colt rode the rail to a late-running win by a neck in his second outing since September. The colt won his maiden at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park in March, 2022.

Ramsey’s second Gold Cup starter will be AMERICAN DIAMOND (American Pharoah – Causeway Lady by Giant’s Causeway), who was claimed by Ramsey and Joseph from a win for $35,000 claiming race at Gulfstream on Jan. 5. The five-year-old horse was previously trained by Mike Maker, who trained all three of Ramsey’s Gold Cup winners. American Diamond was coming off a one-year layoff before that win, his second victory in 10 races. Canadian-based jockey Rico Walcott is expected to ride.

Also shipping in from the US for the Gold Cup is MO HAWK, a son of Uncle Mo, who is trained by Robert Peirce for Melrose Stable and IT’S A GAMBLE, by English Channel, winner of the 2021 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park and now owned by Mark Goodridge.

The probable field, with jockeys as available, is below.

 

 

Probable Field for  Sandy Lane Gold Cup – March 4, 2023

Garrison Savannah, Barbados

Horse Jockey

BODIE TAP Sean Leavy

BRILLIANT NEWS Rey Williams

IT’S A GAMBLE Jalon Samuel

MO HAWK Rasheed Hughes

RENAISSANCE FROLIC n/a

SO SUAVE Antonio Bishop

VIVIDLY Rocco Bowen

TALLAHATCHIEBRIDGE Patrick Husbands

AMERICAN DIAMOND Rico Walcott

~ with files from Kent Layne

Tags: Garrison Savannah, Ken Ramsey, Patrick Husbands, Saffie Joseph, Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, Tallahatchiebridge,

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