Anthony Nunes ... posted his first four-timer at Caymanas Park on Saturday. - File

LOTTO CLASSIC Governor's Cup-winning trainer, Anthony Nunes, is the Performer of the Week after posting his first four-timer including back-to-back wins in the big three-year-old classic race at Caymanas Park last Saturday.

Nunes, whose IT IS I won the $2.25 million event over 2000 metres, landed the race last year with IL CAIMANO, to log his third victory in the Derby prep race after first tasting success with TERREMOTO in 1998.

Emotional victory

It was an emotional victory for Nunes, who tried to hide tears of joy behind sunglasses as IT IS I's owner, Barbadian Elias Haloute, who also owned his other Governor's Cup winners, missed the race after suffering a stroke on the eve of the event.

Nunes, who is second in the trainers' standings behind champion Wayne DaCosta, made inroads into the lead after starting the two-day Labour Day carnival with arrears of $2.3m.

Nunes winners, FLAGAMAN in the War Zone Sprint, SMILE OUT in the Lotto Rush Plaque, WORKING IMAGE in the Lotto Dash Trophy and IT IS I in the Lotto Classic for the Governor's Cup, reduced the deficit to $1.3m.

Nunes, the brother of Andrew Nunes, who won the Jamaica Derby with RESTLESS BABE in 1993 and now plying his trade in Barbados, rose to fame in 1998 when TERREMOTO won the Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago derbies in addition to the Red Stripe Superstakes.

His father was Nigel Nunes, a celebrated trainer and breeder.