KINGSTON, Jamaica - Nuclear Noon returned to winning ways in the O & S Tack Room Trophy race, which was a three-year-old and upwards (non-winners of four) call going six furlongs on Sunday, October 31, 2021 at Caymanas Park.
Prepared by the champion trainer Anthony Nunes, Nuclear Noon (Robert Halledeen) won the event by 2 3/4 lengths as the 6/5 second favourite. The winning time was 1:12.4 seconds with splits of 22.3 x 45.4 seconds. Regnant (Paul Francis) finished second at odds of 9/2 with Billy Whizz (Dick Cardenas), the 1/2 favourite, finishing third after rearing up when leaving the gates thereby dissipating his chances of winning. With this his fourth career victory Nuclear Noon, a bay colt by Nuclear Wayne - Noon It Is will now compete at the Overnight Allowance level, which he will do tomorrow (November 6).
“It was a good win and it is always good to win for owner Mr Bernard. Nuclear Noon ran well in the 2000 Guineas and we then stretched him out in the St Leger, and that race showed us that he does not want to go that long.
“Nuclear Noon is just coming back to himself and the time of 1:12.4 is an indication of his progress as that is the time, he ran for 1,200 metres before entering the Guineas.
‘’The key is for him to remain healthy and sound, as it is, for all horses under my care. But we were fortunate when Billy Whizz gave all his chances away at the gates. That is a part of this game. Over the past two or so weeks, we felt most aggrieved for Further and Beyond but that is part and parcel of horse racing, it comes with the territory and, maybe we just got lucky this week, for ill-luck is not something that we can prepare for. Some days are going to be as it was today and some otherwise. “Nuclear Noon is now in Overnight Allowance where he is up against formidable opposition but he is going to hold his own in good time,” Nunes said.
