This renewal of the featured $6.0 million Jamaica Cup took on added significance with the winner guaranteed a post position in the Mouttet Mile Invitational set for the first Saturday of next month. To attempt a remarkable feat, 2022 and 2023 Horse-Of-The-Year, Atomica lined up alongside 10 rivals each hoping to deny her a third straight victory in this 1900-metre stamina test.
Turned out in impeccable condition, the five-year-old mare Atomica (6-5) led on the rain-drenched surface, deemed officially to be sloppy, and being clear looked to be in a higher class when clear 700 metres out. Conditioned by Gary Subratie, Atomica set a punishing pace to have all, with the exception of this season’s 1000 Guineas heroine Run Julie Run (5-1), in trouble at the top of the 400-metre home stretch.
Ridden by the leading reinsman Raddesh Roman, the progressive Run Julie Run produced a sustained and threatening effort from the from the distance to close the gap on the leader. However, at the winning line she was still three-parts of a length short as Atomica stayed on well inside the last 150 metres to hold the lead safely.
Supporting the feature was the 1200-metre $2.5 million Port Royal Sprint run as race seven. This event was won by the brilliantly speedy US-bred five-year-old mare Desert Of Malibu (1-1) and was the first of the two major successes on a great day for the Gary Subratie outfit and confirmed double success for Roman. It was also a productive day for Dawkins, the 2022 champion jockey, as he also partnered Richard Azan’s two-year-old maiden filly Hazelnut to score by over four lengths at odds of 7-2 in the 1200-metre race four.
Contested by a field of nine over a mile, the opening event on the programme of ten races went to near three-length winner King Piye (2-1). Former two-time champion Shane Ellis was at the reins for the first of two successes for the stable of former three-time champion Anthony Nunes. Power Of Love (8-5), ridden by title-chasing Tevin Foster, confirmed the second for Nunes in an eight-length romp over the 1600-metre gallop titled The St Elizabeth Distaff restricted to fillies and mares and run as the day’s eighth event.
The title race for 2024 riding honours remains one of the most engaging current features of each race day. Roman struck first with Golden Lawyer (3-1) in the 1200-metre sixth event restricted to maidens then followed up with the aforementioned Desert Of Malibu (USA). However, Foster’s response aboard Power Of Love ensured he did not lose ground.
Once again, former jockey and top ten conditioner Patrick Lynch demonstrated his immense skill in timely preparation of his horses to post three winners on the day. Lynch’s 5-2 bet winner of the 1400-metre race two Pretty Caroline (USA), whose first sign ability was third in her last of 21 starts, was ridden to a two-length victory by Javaniel Patterson.
In race three over 1400 metres California Gold (Reyan Lewis) led and held on by three parts of a length to confirm the stable’s second and the third was that of three-year-old maiden Golden Lawyer by over seven lengths.
Race five and nine run at 1300 and 1200 metres respectively yielded the two longest priced winners on the day. Firstly, it was 43-1 against March And Shoot saddled by Lawrence Freemantle and was well ridden by 2019 champion Christopher Mamdeen, who induced a strong late run from his mount on the sloppy surface to score by nearly three lengths.
Then secondly and similarly visiting Panamanian reinsman Victor Sanchez, found far rails running room 50 metres out for Teflon Don (14/1) to score by just over two lengths for trainer Jason DaCosta.
