King Arthur’s last furlong too good for Lady Geeta field
KING ARTHUR, the 2020 Jamaica Derby winner, produced a storming rail finish with Omar Walker to run away from the battling trio of FATHER PATRICK, DUKE and LURE OF LUCY, collaring the sprinters a furlong out in yesterday’s six-furlong Lady Geeta Trophy.
Kicked out of the betting at 9-1 in the six-horse field, KING ARTHUR broke sharply along the rail to chase stablemate LURE OF LUCY before being relegated third by speedy FATHER PATRICK’s sweeping move leaving the half-mile marker.
DUKE, the even-money favourite, soon joined the fray, making his bid four wide to enter the straight, challenging LURE OF LUCY and FATHER PATRICK,
hitting the front a furlong and a half from home.
However, KING ARTHUR rallied from fourth along the rail to charge at a spent DUKE, who had no answer to the closer’s storming finish inside the final furlong.
PACE MELTDOWN
KING ARTHUR clocked 1:12.1, benefitting from a pace meltdown of 22.2 and 45.3 to score a four-and-a-half length win ahead of DUKE, giving sixtime champion Walker his second win in two weeks for leading trainer Jason DaCosta since managing to get a toehold in the barn he once ruled as first-call for Jason’s father, the late Wayne DaCosta.
KING ARTHUR’s surprise win against sprinters closed a two-timer for DaCosta on the 11-race card after BILLY WHIZZ, last season’s derby runner-up, easily landed the eighth event at nine furlongs, clocking 1:52.1 in the overnight-allowance contest with Anthony Thomas aboard.
Thomas, the defending champion jockey, moved to 32 wins, two shy of leader Dane Dawkins, who was out for the afternoon on doctor’s orders after an exercise spill.
Dennis Pryce also saddled two winners, PURE HEART and three-yearold debutant, UNRULY DUDE, who made all in the ninth at five and a half furlongs, posting a quick 1:07.0.
Tevin Foster rode two winners, opening the programmme astride COMMISSIONER at four furlongs straight before returning to land the sixth at six furlongs with Anthony Subratie’s TEQUILA BLUE.
Racing continues at the weekend with a three-meet blitz, Saturday, Sunday and Monday’s Labour Day card.