Flybuejet, Funcaandun make mockery of opposition
ONEIL MULLINGS yesterday made good a chance ride aboard American FLYBLUEJET, making every yard of the running with the four-year-old filly to outclass a field of mainly local-breds at five and a half furlongs for 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny.
Running as an imported fouryear-old maiden among localbred non-winners of two races, FLYBUEJET scored a convincing victory to reverse her form, clocking 1:08.0, after disappointing as a 3-2 favourite when placing third in a similar event at five furlongs straight a week prior.
KISSMET, who had finished as a runner-up to SPEEDIE HARE last Saturday, beating FLYBLUEJET into third place, was on the receiving end, 12 and a quarter lengths behind the American, who won five and a half clear of UNCLE NUB.
Mullings replaced champion jockey Reyan Lewis, who failed to honour his only mount on the ninerace card, staying put on one winner, from two rides, after four meets of the new season.
Meanwhile, Tevin Foster, runner-up to Lewis in the 2023 jockeys’ title race, moved his season’s tally to seven winners, booting home Steven Todd’s threeyear-old maiden, LADY LAUREN, in the fillies-only seventh race at six furlongs.
LADY LAUREN chased APLOMB t o the home turn, sneaking past her along the rail to run out an impressive six-length winner at odds of 5-2. Champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s 4-5 favourite, ROSETTA, struggled to close from off the pace, eventually securing second inside the last half-furlong.
DaCosta, renowned for his battery of speedy Americans, debuted another quick foreigner in the Rimsky Trophy, three-year-old colt, FUNCAANDUN, who made a mockery of local-bred non-winners of two races with Shamaree Muir astride, zipping six furlongs in 1:12.2, a time reserved for horses at the top levels.
Claiming rider Jordan Barrett was guilty of committing the alltoo-popular practice of drifting his mount in the stretch run when being challenged, resulting in 1-5 favourite MY SMOKEY’S disqualification as a winner in the sixth event for $250,000 claimers, after impeding subsequently promoted runner-up JAMALJAMES inside the final half-furlong.
Racing continues this afternoon with another nine-race card, the first of consecutive Saturday-Sunday meets to close January.