KINGSTON, Jamaica - Superluminal, despite being 0.5 kilogrammes below the top weight of 57.0 kilogrammes marched to a one-and-a-half-length victory as the 1-2 favourite in Heroes’ Day feature, the Fontainbleu Trophy among Open Allowance three-year-olds and upwards company going 1,500 metres to take the major share of the $1,150,000 purse.
Once again ridden by his accustomed rider, Omar Walker, the seven-year-old bay horse by Natural Selection - Thousand Hills turned up in the pink of form to rattle the five runners from the high-powered stables of the leading trainer Anthony Nunes including Triple Crown winner Supreme Soul, in the seven-horse field winning with a dismissive display of toughness mixed with his known ability being a former winner of the Jamaica St Leger.
With fractions of 23.3 x 46.3 and 1:10.3, Superluminal completed 1,500 metres in a sprightly time of 1:31.1 to fix his sight firmly on the upcoming Diamond Mile set for three weeks on.
The victory by the ageing warrior was one that was prepared for and expected from assistant trainer Peter-John Parsard who made the revelation in a post-race interview.
“Coming into the race, we were very, very confident. This was a race that was pinpointed after the last loss to Supreme Soul.
“We looked at the Superstakes, we looked at the Invitational Mile but eventually decided that this was the right race for him to enter. So, when everybody was on the recovery, we were right there on a peak for this race.”
As to Superluminal’s next stop which should be the Diamond Mile, Parsard said it is a wait and see moment.
“We are in the Diamond Mile but we are still undecided whether to put him in. To be very honest he does not have the cut of the Grade One campaigners such as She’s A Maneater and Stranger Danger. Notwithstanding, he is flesh and blood which means that anything can happen so, the owner and the training team will have to sit down and make a decision as to what is the best move.
“We just do not believe in running our horses for running sake as we would like to win when they run. Superluminal looks to be on the improve and possibly has a chance then we will enter him,” Parsard said.
Parsard then added: “Superluminal is a fighting horse and any time we see that he loses that fight we will know it is time to retire him, but to see him fighting on and fighting on then we know he is right where he needs to be and hopefully, we can get a few more years out of him.”
