Dawkins lands Caymanas feature; Ramon/Foster battle now razor-thin

Jockey Dane Dawkins on Sunday crashed the championship-battle party of Tevin Foster and Raddesh Roman with a come-from-behind win astride PERFECT BREW in the Vassell ‘Jolly Man’ Najair Memorial, upsetting sprinters at five and a half furlongs.

Foster aboard MILOS and Roman astride DIGITAL ONE, failed to feature in the overnight-allowance event after their mounts fizzled in underfoot conditions.

PERFECT BREW survived being bumped and blocked at the start, straightening way off the pace in sixth place, to mow down 7-1 outsider MONEY MARKET stealing home with Paul Francis.

A wet track, caused by mid-afternoon showers for a second consecutive race meet, played the feature straight into 7-2 chance PERFECT BREW’s game, with 3-5 favourite DIGITAL ONE, MILOS and A GIFT FROM BEN run off their legs by MONEY MARKET.

However, MONEY MARKET, sneaking home with Paul Francis on the wet surface, was stunned by late-closing PERFECT BREW under 2022 champion jockey Dane Dawkins on winter break from Canada’s Assiniboia Downs.

Straightening wide of rivals and seemingly out of it at seventh in the 12-horse field, PERFECT BREW pulled level with the chasing pack – DIGITAL ONE, MILOS and A GIFT FROM BEN – a furlong and a half out, before putting the bead on MONEY MARKET in spotless silks with Paul Francis appearing cozy on the lead.

Francis tried his best to rouse MONEY MARKET, but found PERFECT BREW, a 2022 classic contender, much too strong inside the final half-furlong, surrendering to the Bern Identity-Moonlight Brew gelding in a drive-by finish at the wire.

PERFECT BREW clocked 1:06.4 for his three-quarter length win, using back class to beat overnight allowance runners, his fourth run on return to the group.

Meanwhile, Roman, responding to Foster’s Saturday four-timer and Sunday opener astride ESUSE ME GOODBY, notched two winners – SHE’S ADORABLE and BABYLOVE – reducing his rival’s lead to one win, 104-103, in an exhilarating battle after both broke the 100-barrier at the weekend.

Racing continues this Saturday with the BGLC-TOBA Millionaires Series, a $2 million owners’ bonus up for grabs in the three-year-old maiden event at seven furlongs, before the Heroes Weekend triple-header of Saturday-Sunday-Monday.