Veteran conditioner Phillip Lee turned out four-year-old bay Eazy Peazy in the pink of condition and the Casual Trick bred four-year-colt galloped to match his looks.
Piloted by former two-time champion claiming jockey Oshane Nugent and offering odds of 8-5, Eazy Peazy dominated from the early fractions and was seven and a half lengths in front at the end of the 1,500-metre exertion of the opening event.
In pursuit of leading archrival Tevin Foster (74), title-chasing reinsman Raddesh Roman (67) rode the first of three wins in the day’s 1400-metre aboard Anthony Nunes’ Classic aspirant Allegiance (6-1) over 1,400 metres, the first of two for the trainer.
It was an exceedingly close three-way battle with two short-heads separating Super Alex (12-1) second and Grecian Light (2-1) third.
Foster’s response was immediate as he secured a near seven-length runaway aboard 4-5 favourite Sunshine Cat in the 1200-metre third. The 10-year-old mare was saddled by Ryan Darby and was the first of two successes for Foster, the constantly improving exponent of traditional copybook jockeyship.
Roman’s response to Foster was immediate as well. The Nunes stable double was confirmed in race four which saw Volatility (1-5) overpowering half a dozen rivals over the 1000-metre straight course by over eight lengths with Roman always mostly standing upright.
The Foster/Roman exhibition was on paused for race five, run at 1300 metres. Two-kilo claimer Shavon Townsend, for the first of a riding double, induced a game front running success from Traveller’s Lodge (5-1) for second generation conditioner Christopher Pearson to declare his third winner from only five starts this season.
Townsend secured his double in race nine over 1820 metres aboard Classic aspirant Mack And Rome (5-1) for trainer Saqlain Roman.
The contest was back on track for the dueling riders in race six, an event restricted to maiden four-year-olds and upwards.
Roman confirmed his third aboard Princess Ifiyah (1-9). She led and remained in front to score by just under two lengths over the straight course.
The winner, sired by the brilliantly speedy Buzz Nightmare, was saddled by Errol Burke. Obviously, in having only her fourth racecourse appearance, this filly, nicely conformed for sprinting, is not easy to train.
In response to Roman’s three-timer, Foster had his second in partnering Jason DaCosta’s Fred The Great (5-2) to a three-length winning margin in the featured 1600-metre Big Man In Town Trophy, staged as the tenth and closing event.
It was Jockey’s Guild Day and the trophy to commemorate this event, run as race seven, was won by Crucial Alexxya (9-2) guided by Aaron Chatrie to a six-length runaway for breeder/owner/trainer Carl Anderson. Whilst in race eight, a maiden condition event, former jockey Tensang Chung saddled Go West Young Man, the even money favourite, for a three-length success with Matthew Bennett at the reins.
