- Tuesday 02, March-2004

The three overseas-based horses which arrived in Barbados last Saturday morning, were all seen on the exercise sand track yesterday morning, but, as expected, their work was limited to just cantering.

The Eugene Melnyk pair of Kathir, with work rider Madeline Scimetta, and Moonshine Hall were put through their paces.

Seen here Barbadian jockey Slade Callaghan, takes Canadian contender, and one of the pre-race favourites, Moonshine Hall, down the straight during an exercise gallop early in the week. Moonshine Hall will be ridden by Patrick Husbands tomorrow.

(Picture by .Charles Grant)

Compliments of Nation News

Sharp Impact, owned by Gay Smith, who won last year’s race with Thady Quill but who has been withdrawn, was put through his work by raceday jockey Jono Jones.

The horses came out on the track just after 9 a.m., and by then most of the railbirds had already left. But for those who had waited to see the overseas horses, most of them seemed impressed with the looks of Sharp Impact.

The railbirds felt that Sharp Impact looked sharper than Melnyk’s pair, and as if he was really ready for the race. He also worked up a sweat quickly and looked to be “on his toes”.

Moonshine Hall is a big, strapping chestnut, and some railbirds expressed the view that because of his size he could have problems in negotiating the sharp Garrison track.

Kathir, also a chestnut, seemed to have caught their fancy more than his stablemate, probably because he is a more compact horse.

Of the three horses, Sharp Impact has the best form, having won and placed in Group 2 races at Belmont racetrack.

Kathir is the most travelled of the three. Now a seven-year-old, this former inmate of top Florida-based trainer Kairan McLaughlin, has raced between Dubai and the United States on numerous occasions.

Compliments of the Nation News

Click to see if it will be fourth time lucky for millionaire owner Eugene Melnyk. His charge Kathir will run in the 23rd running of the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup at the Garrison on March 6th 2004.

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