Classy ‘Maneater’ slams rivals
HALL & Oates said it all in the chorus of their 1982 Billboard Hot 100 number-one song: ‘Watch out boy, she’ll chew you up (Oh here she comes)
She’s a maneater’
Not only did Wayne DaCosta’s SHE’S A MANEATER chew up rivals in yesterday’s six-furlong None Such Trophy, she spat them out close home, winning by a length and a half with Omar Walker declaring victory after weaving through traffic inside the last half-furlong.
Racing in the purple and white silks of Ian Kong for the first time, ownership passed down by his elderly father, Winston Kong, SHE’S A MANEATER caused lumps to grow in her backers’ throats when almost 10 lengths behind down the backstretch while stablemate MR UNIVERSE fended off SIEMPRE BUENO on the lead.
Turning for home fifth along the rail, with only two horses behind, SHE’S A MANEATER started picking off rivals to get within striking distance a halffurlong out.
However, with the speed predictably collapsing and already in tight quarters along the rail, Walker skilfully switched the filly to split CHACE THE GREAT and SIEMPRE BUENO with the winning post fast approaching.
The splits were torrid, 22.0, 45.1, but bound to come back to the big filly, who closed rapidly to clock 1:10.4 with topweight 126lb, the fastest time at the distance this season.
Walker was the star jock on the 10race card, opening the programme with CUE THREE at odds of 9-1 before bringing down the curtains in dramatic fashion with rank outsider, HOVER CRAFT, who stormed home on the stands’ side to land the 10th at 15-1, completing a two-timer for DaCosta.
SHE’S A MANEATER’s victory solidified DaCosta’s chances of again sweeping the major grade one races with the seven-furlong Gold Cup on the horizon, followed by November’s 10-furlong Superstakes and December’s Diamond Mile, both of which she won last year.
Midweek racing returns on Wednesday, a meet rescheduled from earlier this season.