"Pepsi" lands his 500th Winner

HARRIRAM “Pepsi” GOBIN (in red) is being congratulated by The Connections of Feel The Heat

Veteran horse trainer Harriram “Pepsi” Gobin landed his 500th winner on Friday March 29, 2019, (day before the Shouter Baptist holiday) at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.

The milestone came when the Shivam Maharaj-owned Feel The Heat won the fourth race for 3 Y.O & Over rated 35-0 over a distance of 1600 metres (Turf), ridden by Venezuelan Carlos Rojas. In an interview with Sunshine Today racing columnist Gobin, 57, said he started his career almost two decades ago, when he assisted his father, Jaisingh “Coconut” Gobin who was a trainer. “When my father died I decided to get my trainer’s licence and the first horse I trained was for owner Merlin Samlalsingh,” he revealed.

The horse, named Donut Prince won the Easter Guineas. Gobin also won the prestigious Trinidad Derby, with Mucho Tempo, owned by Samlalsingh and ridden by jockey Ricardo Jadoo in 2004. After a few years with Samlalsingh, Gobin moved over to the powerful Shivam Maharaj stable, of which he is currently in charge. He has won several major stakes races, including the NLCB Boxing Day Gold Cup race last year for the top class horses with Nuclear Power ridden by jockey Wilmer Galviz.