Nautical Star climbs Mouttet rung with Labour Day win

Anthony Nunes’ United States-bred NAUTICAL STAR, way down the totem pole of local-based runners vying to fill 10 gates should six overseas entries accept invitations for December’s Mouttet Mile, made some progress by securing 20 points with an easy win in yesterday’s Labour Day Trophy.

Among the invitees for last year’s Mouttet Mile, NAUTICAL STAR had finished a disappointing ninth, shipping in from Florida with a big reputation but short on race fitness, which reared its head in the US$300,000 race run at a ripping pace.

Touted as Nunes’ hopes for a last-gasp attempt to deny Jason DaCosta a fourth straight trainers’ title in December, NAUTICAL STAR has since won two overnight-allowance races, getting off the mark locally in January’s six-furlong St Catherine Cup.

Though his Labour Day Trophy win, clocking 1:25.1 on a fast track, was just as routine as his St Catherine Cup nine-length stroll, NAUTICAL STAR had to await the last furlong and a half to pounce on DaCosta’s AMERICAN AVIATOR, who was humbled by local-breds in his last two races.

With his foreigners not seemingly up to par with grade-one runners such as defending Mouttet Mile champ RIDEALLDAY, his stablemate, SUPERNATURAL POWER, and 2024 winner, FUNCAANDUN, Nunes, who won three consecutive titles, 2019-21, will have to eye North America for a horse capable of snapping DaCosta’s reign.

Meanwhile, outsider DARK SWAN and market-springer TUTS rocked the back end of the Reggae 6 at odds of 10-1 and 5-2, respectively, resulting in 118 winning tickets, including overseas bettors, picking up $352,965 apiece in mandatory payouts.

Though no favourite obliged in the first three races, JO BOXER, GLOBAL MACHINE and SHEER DE JOUR were not far-fetched winners, getting home at 3-1, 8-5 and 7-2, respectively.

LEGAL FIGHT won the fourth as a 3-5 favourite, keeping form players’ tickets intact before DARK SWAN turned off the lights in the fifth, making all to beat D’STORM by five and a half lengths.

YOU’RE MY SWEETIE, the 6-5 favourite, was again outsped, struggling to keep pace as DARK SWAN made all with tongue-tie fitted, repeating her December 14 win over the bridesmaid, who was demoted to a flower girl, finishing fifth.

TUTS, previewed with morning-line odds of 20-1, handed trainer Carlton Cunningham his second of three winners after landing the second Reggae 6 event with GLOBAL MACHINE.

Running out of Cunningham’s barn for the first time off a three-month break, a barefaced TUTS exposed her previous handlers’ folly of fitting blinkers for her last two races by outfinishing UNDISCLOSDLOCATION and RESTORATION at five furlongs straight.

TUTS landed the coup for Cunningham, who returned to close his three-timer with ADIRA, the speedster also handing claiming rider Richie Shakes a third winner after opening the 10-race card with a double, JO BOXER and GLOBAL MACHINE.

May’s month of racing concludes on Saturday ahead of June’s opening Saturday-Sunday weekend, featuring the 1000 and 2000 Guineas classics, respectively.