KINGSTON, Jamaica - With current champion Anthony Nunes posting a spate of eight winners over the last four September race days to reduce by half main title chasing rival Jason DaCosta’s August lead to $3.3 million a response was needed from the latter. The response was immediate and came in the 1200-metre opener with 2019 champion jockey Christopher Mamdeen controlling the pace throughout with 8/5 favourite Thegoodlife.
Slated for double success, whilst Nunes was winless, DaCosta got confirmation in the closing event. Third in the 1000 Guineas, Our Mission (4-5) under vintage handling from former six-time champion reinsman Omar Walker demonstrated she is probably best kept to sprinting. Starting at post position 10, the unsuccessful 2022 Classic aspirant found room on the far rails to deliver a successful late challenge scoring by a neck in the 1200-metre contest.
Race two, run over 1500 metres, was won by Whatever (3-1) with claiming jockey Roger Hewitt doing the honours for trainer Donovan Plummer to move the stable to 15 successes from 145 starts this season.
In race three, veteran Oniel Mullings won on his 85th mount of the season. The 8-5 favourite Qurandero, saddled by Anthony Smith, was a length and a half in front of six rivals at the end of the 1000-metre straight gallop.
Race four over 800 metres straight seemed made to order for moderate but speedy Dotlin (Dane Dawkins). Conditioned by Donovan Russell, the little filly, at odds of 3-1, led clearly and easily and although drifting to the far rails inside the last 200 metres stayed on well to hold the advantage safely.
While race five, run from 1400 metres, was won surprisingly easily by 9/2 chance Blood Fire (Andre Powell) by over five lengths. Trainer Dale Murphy deserved to be in the winners’ enclosure for win number seven from 50 starters as prior to the event this race was deemed the most competitive of the nine races on offer.
The sixth event contested over 1000 metres round, was won from in front by Rambling Rose (6-1) owned and trained by David Lee Sin. Ridden by Aaron Chatrie this filly is the sort that is very easy to handle with her calmness in the post parade. Rambling Rose kept on the rails throughout had her lead threatened 300 metres out but sprinted well inside the final 200 to score by just over one length.
Former Richard Azan inmate Daddy Jones, making its first appearance for the Dennis Thwaites outfit, justified odds of 6-5 favourite convincingly. After disputing the early lead, led comfortably from 350 metes out and stayed on strong to win the 1500-metre event by three lengths. Thwaites has now posted 16 winners from 76 starters for a continued satisfactory strike rate.
In the eighth and penultimate, trainer Patrick Lynch posted his 26th winner of the season with maiden Freedom Street (6-5) starting for his fourth race sprinting well to win the 1000-metre straight event. The three-year-old gelding was assisted by Reyan Lewis, who ticked off his fifth win over the last two race days.
