A crowd of close on 50 000 racegoers poured into the Champ de Mars on Sunday to shout a former Cape-based galloper home in the 165th renewal of the Gr1 Air Mauritius Maiden Cup.
No problem getting crowds to the track!
The 2400m contest is the island’s premier, and longest race, and Sunday’s renewal saw the second consecutive time it was sponsored by the national airline – after they had withdrawn for a period of eight years earlier.
Despite coming into the Gr1 with the lowest rating of just 56, the former Justin Snaith-trained Parachute Man proved too hot for the opposition, not only earning both Ricky Maingard and Rye Joorawon their second wins in the big race, but also the latter’s second classic success of the season.
Rye Joorawon and Ricky Maingard with their mascot in the post-race celebrations
Running in second position behind Vettel (Swapneel Rama) until the beginning of the final bend, the Australian-bred Parachute Man simply sailed on to a comfortable win, much to the joy of his connections.
Triumph for Rye Joorawon and Parachute Man
Bulsara (Ben Kennedy) was forced to settle for 2nd position, although it was his best result of the season.
Bouclette Top (Jean Pierre Guillambert) completed the podium, while Diamond Light (Rakesh Bhaugeerothee) was a solid fourth.
The winner raced in the Hassen Adams silks in the Cape where he won 5 races from 1300m to 2400m.
His best performance was a narrow defeat by Gothic in the Listed Kenilworth Cup
A son of High Chaparral from the Danehill mare Fiammarosa he was sold for A$30,000 at the 2012 Australian Weanling and Bloodstock Sale.
This is his first season in Mauritius and he had run places at both his previous starts here.
He looks to have a bright future in his new home.
The full run-on:
| THE AIR MAURITIUS MAIDEN CUP | 2400 m | Rating P.d’Age [60+] G.1 | 15h30 |
|---|
| Rank | # | Horse | Stable | Jockey | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | PARACHUTE MAN | R.MAINGARD | R.Joorawon | 2m27.38 | 960000 |
| 2 | 4 | BULSARA | GUJADHUR | B.Kennedy | 2m28.14 | 400000 |
| 3 | 1 | BOUCLETTE TOP | GUJADHUR | J.P Guillambert | 2m28.47 | 160000 |
| 4 | 6 | DIAMOND LIGHT | S.JONES | B.Bhaugeerothee | 2m28.69 | 80000 |
| 5 | 2 | BOLD INSPIRATION | R.GUJADHUR | D.Mansour | 2m29.28 | 0 |
| 6 | 7 | NIGHT IN SEATTLE | G.ROUSSET | B.Fayd’herbe | 2m29.43 | 0 |
| 7 | 3 | VETTEL | GUJADHUR | S.Rama | 2m29.47 | 0 |
| 8 | 5 | RAMPANT ICE | J.M.HENRY | I.Sturgeon | 2m29.54 | 0 |
| 9 | 8 | BASTILLE DAY | GUJADHUR | S.Bussunt | 2m29.77 | 0 |
More on Parachute Man’s breeding- see below
