KINGSTON, Jamaica - Following an impressive front-running 10-length win by Lure of Lucy in only her second outing, co-champion jockey Anthony Thomas is confident that the American-bred filly will continue to improve with each run, as she promises much for the remainder of her career.
Thomas, who piloted the filly on Ash Wednesday, ensured that her speed and class were on display, as he was required to do very little in the 6 ½ furlong run, which she completed in a tidy 1:19.0.
Conditioned by Wayne DaCosta, Lure of Lucy’s opening victory came just over a week after her debut run on the five-furlong round course where she played second fiddle to the smart and more experienced local bred She’s A Wonder.
“I am very pleased with how she won. Lure of Lucy did everything right on the day and I only needed to guide her along the way. I thought she was very professional and I am proud of the way she handled herself, after she ran a very good second on debut,” Thomas said.
“She is a nice three-year-old coming up the line, like I said, this was only her second run, so she has a lot of scope for improvement. The more she runs and trains, the more I am expecting her to come on better because she is still in the learning process and she’s very teachable,” he added.
Lure of Lucy, a bay daughter of Uncle Lino out of Ring of Faith, came away well from the number six draw and Thomas sent her straight to the lead, holding the filly together nicely through a quarter-mile in 23.1 seconds and the half-mile in 46.2 seconds.
From there, Thomas asked Lure of Lucy to gradually increase the tempo with stablemate Billy Whizz (Omar Walker) in chase, but drew off in the homestretch, breezing six furlongs in a cool 1:11.3, while opening up with every stride.
Billy Whizz stayed on for second, with Regal Royal (Reyan Lewis) and One Don (Dane Dawkins) closing to complete the frame.
Lure of Lucy was one of three winners on the day for Thomas.
“Everybody always wants to win races and the most important thing is that you are comfortable doing your job and you go out there and do your best, that is good enough,” Thomas reasoned.
“Sharing the title is very good, as jockeys, we are always out there complimenting and competing against each other with friendly rivalry. So, we just want to continue doing that while entertaining the fans and unite as one,” he noted.
