Nunes goes on an International Women’s Day rampage

Anthony Nunes served notice on champion trainer Jason DaCosta yesterday, closing a stinging five-timer with a hat-trick completed by NEO STAR in the International Women’s Day Trophy at nine furlongs and 25 yards.

Starting the day $1.8 million clear of daCosta in the trainers’ stakes race, Nunes and his stable rider, defending champion jockey Raddesh Roman, ran roughshod over rivals, accounting for seven of the day’s 11 races.

Nunes and Roman teamed up for three winners, Americans OF A REVOLUTION and BOWMORE in the fourth and eighth, respectively, followed by ONEIANZHALINKS, who beat fellow three-year-old maidens at seven and a half furlongs in the ninth.

Hot lightweight claiming rider, Tajay Suckoo, who rounded off last weekend’s dual meet with four winners, starting with a Saturday hat-trick, rode two winners, his sixth win in three meets, booting home ALIYA’S WILL in the fifth among three-year-old maidens, closing with a well-timed ride aboard NEO STAR for owner Nadon, whose BOWMORE had won the eighth.

Going in chase of DON KWESI, who had shot past HAIL THE QUEEN a half mile out, seven-year-old NEO STAR got on level terms with the burdened four-year-old inside the last furlong, eventually pulling away to win by two and a half lengths as the 4-5 favourite.

Nunes had smartly summoned Suckoo to partner NEO STAR, slipping six pounds from 124lb, ensuring his course-specialist ran with 118lb, getting eight pounds from DON KWESI, who the conditions book had allotted topweight, made worse by the scale moving upwards by four pounds, resulting in a burden of 126lb on the colt.

DON KWESI’s allocation of topweight was baffling, being a non-winner of an overnight-allowance race, facing overnight-allowance winners such as NEO STAR and RAINSVILLE, who were both assigned lighter imposts.

Javaniel Patterson also rode two winners, Nunes’ PAPI USO in the second and RESTORATION in the sixth, ensuring only two other jockeys outside of himself, Suckoo and Roman visited the winners’ enclosure for the entire day.

Christopher Mamdeen opened the programme with 6-5 favourite BALLISTIC MISSILE, a far cry from aptly named RAGING RIVER, whose 41-1 torrent dumbfounded punters in the nightpan at five furlongs straight.

However, trainer Patrick Lynch’s coup did not escape Jimmie’s selections in the Track and Pools form book, touted as the tipster’s ‘outsider’ of the day.

Racing continues at the weekend with the first Saturday-Sunday meet in March.