Sensational Move surprises Reggae Month Trophy field
SENSATIONAL MOVE yesterday capitalised on United State-bred stablemate DESERT OF MALIBU’s horrendous start to convincingly upset rivals at odds of 8-1 in the Reggae Month Trophy at five furlongs straight.
Enjoying his best form since the back end of last season, SENSATIONAL MOVE franked his 10-length at five and a half furlongs, clocking 1:05.4 on January 28, by outsprinting YELLOWSTONE, A GIFT FROM BEN and EMPEROROFTHECATS while DESERT OF MALIBU laboured in fourth place.
Partnered by Dane Dawkins, who, coincidentally had been aboard DESERT OF MALIBU for all her six races, SENSATIONAL MOVE surprisingly matched speedy YELOWSTONE, stride for stride, before seeing off EMPEROROFTHECATS, a course specialist with the track bias in his favour along the stands’ side.
In-form Raddesh Roman, who was aboard SENSATIONAL MOVE when the four-year-old colt demolished overnight-allowance company when last out, was left ruing the switch after DESERT OF MALIBU reared badly at the start, worse than the dozen lengths she had given up to miraculously chase down MADELYN’S SUNSHINE at six furlongs in the St Catherine Cup a month ago.
With five furlongs straight being an unforgiving distance for scrappy starts, DESERT OF MALIBU never posed a threat throughout though improving into fourth as SENSATIONAL MOVE finished five lengths ahead of EMPEROROFTHECATS in 59.2.
Roman’s switch to DESERT OF MALIBU, who suffered her first real ‘loss’ in six starts, disqualified two races prior, allowed Tevin Foster, his rival atop the jockeys’ standings, to edge two winners ahead after starting the day locked on 13 apiece.
Foster opened the nine-race card by using 1-5 favourite KING’S CROWN to split rivals inside the final furlong, guiding the Steven Todd debutant to a strong win among three-year-old maidens at five furlongs round.
An armchair ride aboard 7-2 chance EDINA MARSH in the fifth event, tracking ESUSE ME GOODBY to the top of the lane, moved Foster to 15 wins for the season as he shared riding honours with Robert Halledeen.
United States-based Halledeen made all with KP CHOICE in the fourth among $1 million claimers at five and a half furlongs and closed the card at a mile with champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s BROWN SKIN GIRL.
Racing continues at the weekend with a Saturday-Sunday meet to close the month of February.