In a field of seven starters, five foreign-bred and two locally bred, Dashallday announced himself with pride and determination, carrying the banner of the locals in his first outing on Saturday, January 10, 2026.
The bay colt by Aveenu Malcainu out of Runallday, trained by Anthony Nunes and partnered by Linton Steadman, defied his 9-1 odds to capture a maiden special weight over five furlongs round. He stopped the clock at 1:01.3, after splits of 25.1 and 49.0, sealing a memorable debut that demonstrated his grit and potential.
“Dashallday is a nice colt, who we expected a good first effort from, and that he did. He picked up the gallop entering the straight, finishing strongly under strong pressure from my other horse in the race, Exceeding Beyond. I was particularly pleased with Dashallday’s guts and determination and for me those are good signs going forward. He came out of the race in good order, and already I am assessing when he will start again,” said trainer Nunes in his post-race interview.
HOW THE RACE UNFOLDED
When the starter’s button was pressed, Dashallday was not the sharpest away. The foreigners Mulligan Man (Shane Ellis) and Exceeding Beyond (Delroy Beharie), a stablemate of Dashallday, quickly vied for the early lead.
Steadman, however, showed patience and tactical awareness, guiding Dashallday along the rails where he settled into third. As the field rounded the bend, another Nunes trainee, Blythwood (Joy Haynes), joined the fray, creating a tightly packed front trio.
With two furlongs left, the leading trio fanned across the track, with Dashallday still biding his time. Then came the decisive moment: travelling the shorter route along the inside, Steadman asked his colt to quicken. Dashallday responded with purpose, surging to the front a furlong out.
Exceeding Beyond, though pressed throughout, found renewed energy and launched a late challenge. But Dashallday, showing the grit of a seasoned runner rather than a debutant, held firm to score by a head. Mulligan Man faded, finishing 2 ¼ lengths behind Exceeding Beyond.
TRAINER’S REFLECTIONS
Nunes, while delighted with Dashallday’s victory, also offered encouragement for his runner-up:
“Exceeding Beyond was a bit fractious behind the gates. He was pressed throughout, yet was able to produce a challenge in the latter part of the contest. His day will come.”
THE QUICK GALLOPER’S VERDICT
Dashallday’s maiden triumph was more than just a win. Against foreign-breds, the colt showed courage, tactical speed, and a fighting heart. His ability to quicken along the rails and repel a strong late challenge suggests he has the qualities to easily progress beyond maiden company.
For Nunes, the satisfaction was two-fold: a promising debutant in Dashallday and a game effort from Exceeding Beyond. Both horses look set to make their mark in the coming weeks.
