KINGSTON, Jamaica - The failure of St Leger and Derby winner Calculus to make an impression against older horses raised legitimate questions concerning the class of the top Classic contenders this year. However, two subsequent performances have salvaged, somewhat, the reputation of the foals of 2019.
Firstly, Further And Beyond, whose placing in the Classic races was third in 2000 Guineas, second St Leger and third Derby impressed with a near ten-length annihilation of Overnight company.
Secondly, running at the higher Open Allowance category, 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine She’s A Wonder outsprinted a useful field to win the day’s 1200-metre featured I’m Satisfied Trophy on the nine-race card.
The seven starters shared the same reaction time at the opening of the starting gates but it was the very speedy promoted four-year-old filly Make Up Artist (Anthony Thomas) that led under pressure to the top of the home straight. Smartly ridden by Dane Dawkins for top five trainer Ian Parsard, She’s A Wonder (6/5) travelled strongly on the bridle in third and struck the front in the upper stretch. Once in there the well-grown filly ran particularly well inside the last 200 metres to score by just over one length.
In the opening event, run over 1200 metres, progressive sprinter Unruly Boss (Anthony Thomas) made it two wins from three career appearances for the Jason DaCosta-schooled colt, who cantered in 9 ½ lengths clear of his best rival in an eye-catching 1:12.1 clocking for the trip at odds of 1/5. Thomas and DaCosta were slated for more successes on the afternoon.
DaCosta only had to wait half an hour for his second trip to the winners’ enclosure as Phillip Parchment induced a strong late effort from juvenile Tekapunt, who got up in the final stride of the 1100-metre second race to score by a short head at 13/1.
Imported US-bred four-year-old Bold Sami (Jordan Barrett) needed a 26th racecourse appearance to shed her maiden tag with an absolute runaway as 3/5 favourite in the 1820-metre third for trainer Byron Davis’s fourth win of the year.
Trained by Nicholas Smith and ridden by Matthew Bennett, fourth race winner Dare To Speak (4/1 ) had a particular piece of good fortune as comfortable leader. In the upper straight Rising Bop suffered a complete fracture of its left fore and had to be euthanised. Jockey Jemar Jackson was left unhurt with only his expectation at the start of this 1200-metre sprint left unfulfilled.
A competitive looking fifth race over 1400 metres had a surprisingly easy winner in the form of trainer Anthony Dixon’s seven-year-old mare Diosa De Oro. This was the first of a double for Dick Cardenas as she glided to a lead of over five lengths in the last 100 metres at odds of 6/1.
In terms of competitiveness, the sixth over 1200 metres was a vastly different affair, with Steven Todd’s 4/1 chance The Genesis, ridden by Thomas for his second success on the programme, led and survived the challenge of odds-on favourite Aphelios (Linton Steadman) by the minimum winning margin of a nose.
Maiden three-year-old filly Cruella only needed this, her third start, to do trainer Richard Azan a good turn by winning the 1000-metre round seventh race by over three lengths at odds of 6/5.
The ninth and closing event, run on a sloppy racetrack, was won by 9/2 backed High Diplomacy ridden by Robert Halledeen, improving the stable of trainer Patrick Lynch to 22 wins this year.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Ian Parsard for the presentation of She’s A Wonder to deliver the Best Winning Gallop at this level the first time of asking. Anthony Thomas gets the Jockeyship Award for his skill and judgement of pace aboard The Genesis in the hugely competitive field of the sixth event.
