Kelvin "N"

The Glenn Menedez-trained Black­stone Street out­bat­tled fel­low three-year-old, D'Roy­al Prospect and the game 2006 Gold Cup win­ner, Straight Ahead to land the $90,000 first prize cheque by a head in the fea­ture Pres­i­dents Cup, over 1,900 me­tres on the main track at San­ta Rosa Park, Ari­ma, yes­ter­day.

Sent off as the 5/2 sec­ond favourite, in the ab­sence of The Dachin Rac­ing Sta­bles-owned Storm Street, the vast­ly im­proved Black­stone Street gave the pow­er­ful Glenn Mendez sta­bles an­oth­er big race win­ner, at the main ex­pense of the John O'Brien duo of D Roy­al Prospect and Chief Com­man­der, which fin­ished fourth. At the far turn Straight Ahead still held sway from Black­stone Street, with Cham­pagne On Deck still close up third as Slews­mart­strike be­gan to back ped­dle and D Roy­al Prospect and Chief Comm­n­der be­gan their runs at the lead­ers.

At the cor­ner, Black­stone Street hit the front but on­ly just, as Straight Ahead bat­tled back with D'Roy­al Prospect and Chief Com­man­der clos­ing. In­side the fi­nal 200 me­tres, it was nip and tuck be­tween Bal­ck­stone Street and Striaght Ahead as D Roy­al Prospect and Chief Com­man­der closed men­ac­ing­ly. Rid­ing ho­n­our went to ap­pren­tice Pavlyn Badrie, who rode two win­ners, while train­ing ho­n­ours fell to train­er Glenn Mendez, who sad­dled three win­ners.