Nautical star overturns the applecart

United States-bred NAUTICAL STAR yesterday showed how lethal he can be in a slower pace, kicking away from SUPERNATURAL POWER four furlongs out to land the SVL 25th Anniversary Trophy at a mile by seven and a half lengths, one of three winners for Anthony Nunes on the 11-race card.

Winded and finishing third in the Eros Trophy at seven furlongs three weeks ago, chasing two-time Mouttet Mile runner-up LEGACY ISLE’s track-record run, NAUTICAL STAR returned to make it three wins from four starts this season with a crack performance, dismissing former stablemate SUPERNATURAL POWER before outclassing local-bred DON KWESI in the home stretch.

NAUTICAL STAR, who had shipped into last December’s Mouttet Mile with a big reputation from Florida but finished a disappointing fifth, equalled SUPERNATURAL POWER’s season-best 1:35.3, a second outside the track record, which the filly had clocked against overnight-allowance runners in April’s World Vet Day Trophy.

SUPERNATURAL POWER, who had finished fourth in the Mouttet Mile, was sent off as the 1-2 favourite, expected to get the drop on six-year-old NAUTICAL STAR in their second meeting, but flopped on her first run from Adrian Prince’s stable, the four-year-old’s new barn on a second move from Philip Feanny’s yard after a brief stint with Anthony Nunes.

NAUTICAL STAR’s big win propelled him up the points standings in the race for one of nine gates remaining for local-based runners in this year’s Mouttet Mile. Picking up 40 points for winning an open-allowance race in excess of six and a half furlongs, NAUTICAL STAR jumped to 90 points, joining MONEY MARKET in 12th spot.

BARNABY, who closed late, relegating DON KWESI to third, earned 20 points, moving to fourth on 130 points behind GIRVANO and PACK PLAYS locked on 160 apiece, followed by OF A REVOLUTION on 140.

SIR DON is next on 118, followed by FUNCAANDUN and LEGACY ISLE on 110 points each. DON KWESI is next on 98 with SUPERNATURAL POWER 95 and MONEY MARKET on 90 with NAUTICAL STAR.

Nunes, who had earlier won the seventh race with KUSMI at 5-1 and closed the card with 6-1 shot ANOTHER WOW, holds a strong hand in the Mouttet Mile points race with four runners - NAUTICAL STAR, BARNABY, OF A REVOLUTION and SIR DON - with talks of a shipper, or two, being flown in to bolster his bid in the US$300,000 event set for Saturday, December 5.

Racing continues this afternoon with the Reggae 6 mandatory payout opening at $12 million.