Salute the Don benefits from tag-team riding to claim Kingston

Dane Dawkins sat fourth aboard 13-1 upsetter STARDOM while stablemates, SALUTE THE DON and, specifically, GOD’S PLAN, executed a hack job on 1-5 favourite WE JAMMIN, handing Gary Subratie a 1-2-3 finish in yesterday’s Kingston at seven and a half furlongs, turning next month’s 2000 Guineas forecast on its head.

A general stewards’ enquiry followed the stunning result, which silenced race fans expecting to witness WE JAMMIN complete another routine win against his peers after a five and three-quarter length win at seven furlongs in last month’s Prince Consort Stakes in which SALUTE THE DON had finished third and his stablemates down the track.

Subratie’s trio returned with a plan, no pun intended, for the Kingston, SALUTE THE DON setting off in front from his wide draw of post-position 10 under Ian Spence while GOD’S PLAN proceeded to close-mark WE JAMMIN immediately after the start.

Sensing he was being bogged to the rail down the backstretch by Emeliio McLean aboard GOD’S PLAN, Omar Walker shifted WE JAMMIN to the outside, but, no sooner had he done so, his marker followed suit, proceeding to keep the favourite wide on the far turn and into the stretch run while SALUTE THE DON tried to steal home on the lead at odds of 7-1.

Frustrated by McLean’s tactics aboard GOD’S PLAN, which included wide-arched right-hand whipping in the stretch run, WE JAMMIN surrendered, while SALUTE THE DON set sail for the winning post.

However, STARDOM, a full brother to Subratie’s 2021 Jamaica Derby and St Leger winner, Calculus, powered forward to go third past GOD’S PLAN a furlong out and charged along the rail to reel in SALUTE THE DON, winning by a half-length in 1:33.2.

Dawkins, who had ridden SALUTE THE DON in the runner-up’s five starts, including two losses to WE JAMMIN, said he switched to STARDOM for the Kingston’s longer trip.

“I know my horse is a better horse, going longer, that’s why I made the choice,” he said, confirming the Sensational Slam-Trinket Box colt as his 2000 Guineas mount.

Subratie, stating that he was disappointed with his trio in the Prince Consort Stakes, said he took things easier at exercise, along with “a few changes”, ahead of the Kingston.

“Everything went bad for the last three trials. I was disappointed. We changed some things. I wasn’t training them hard. I trained them hard for the Prince consort and didn’t get any results so we backed up a little off the work.”

Racing continues this afternoon with the fillies squaring off in the Portmore, which was thrown wide open after DREAM CATCHER upstaged the favourites in last month’s Thornbird Stakes at seven furlongs.