KINGSTON, Jamaica - Run as the ninth and feature on the 10-race card was another renewal of the 2,000-metre Menudo Trophy which garnered seven declarations to continue the more than two-decade-old trend of races over a distance of ground highlighting the paucity of stayers in the two top classes. Still, with the presence of the 2020 and 2021 Jamaica Derby winners in the line-up, King Arthur and Calculus respectively, the race produced talking points worthy of debate.
Ridden by joint champion and season-leader Anthony Thomas for conditioner Jason DaCosta, King Arthur (5/2) made light of the 57 kilogrammes top weight early to take charge of the gallop 1,200 metres from the line and got to the finish three parts of a length ahead of Crimson (Tevin Foster) before the impost took full toll.
Popular trainer Patrick “Mice” Taylor got the satisfaction of posting Leo (Dane Dawkins) at odds of 8/5 favourite for a runaway by over eleven lengths in the day’s opening event run at 1600 metres for maiden three-year olds.
Nicely named juvenile Perfect Brew (4/5) made a winning first appearance and scored with authority and some style. Schooled by Richard Azan and ridden by Oshane Nugent, the well-conformed colt came forward readily to overpower long-time leader Awesome Rich (Jerome Innis) 150 metres out to win by nearly four lengths in the 1,000 metres round second event confined to juvenile maidens.
Nuclear Emma (Paul Francis) at odds of 3/5 favourite turned in a 12-length romp in the day’s 1,500-metre third for trainer Johnny Wilmot’s to commence the stable’s best day of the season with two winners to come on the card.
In keeping with the trend of wide-margin maiden winners, 3/1 chance, the Edward Stanberry-trained Soul Treasure (Oniel Mullings) was always well clear and finally 14 lengths ahead of rivals in the 1,300-metre fourth event.
Apprentice Youville Pinnock rode the Errol Pottinger trained frequently raced Mansur Musur (3/2) to victory in race five to deny 4/5 favourite Free Addi (Christopher Mamdeen).
Half an hour later yet another winning favourite returned to the winners’ enclosure with 4/5 wager Boasy N Flashy (Dick Cardenas) sprinting in front in race six over 1,000 metres straight to secure trainer Steven Todd’s fourth win over the last two race meetings.
Pacemaker Sir Arjun Baba (Phillip Parchment) and sustained challenger Royal Aviator (Anthony Thomas) could not deny the wide, smooth finishing speed of 2/1 shot Devine Lexie (Linton Steadman) in the afternoon’s seventh over 1,400 metres for trainer Wilmot’s second of his eventual three-timer.
Big US-bred grey filly Best Daughter Ever (Javaniel Patterson) made virtually all in the eighth at 3/5 for trainer Vincent Atkinson over 1,600 metres.
While in the tenth and closing event, Wilmot’s triple was confirmed with apprentice Romario Spencer ensuring 1/5 favourite deep Blue Sea led and remained clear for long enough to secure, by a half a length, the closing event run at 1,000 metres on the round course.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Jason DaCosta for the weight-defying performance of King Arthur with the gelding registering the Best Winning Gallop. and Anthony Thomas takes the Jockeyship Award for his decisive move to take control of the slow early pace at the end of 800 metres to which there was no immediate response from the opposing jockeys thus allowing the well-conditioned thoroughbred to proverbially “steal a march” on his half-dozen rivals.
