The Enos Brown-trained filly DARLING ANNA (Joe Buchanan) pulls off a stunning upset at Caymanas Park yesterday in winning the sixth race over 1,400m for maiden three-year-olds at the odds of 1781. Second went to long-time leader LADY LAMMTARRA.
-Ricardo Makyn photoOrville Clarke, Freelance Writer
THE 10-1 CHANCE JOHNNY'S KING turned in a bold front-running performance at Caymanas Park yesterday to win the overnight allowance feature over 1,700 metres in a driving finish from the highly-fancied imported filly FORMALLY GOLD.
Ridden in no-nonsense fashion by heavyweight jockey Clive Lynch, the four-year-old colt who has developed a reputation as a 'war horse', thwarted a strong challenge from 8-5 chance FORMALLY GOLD throughout the last furlong to win by three-quarter length in a field of nine.
Running strongly on the lead, JOHNNY'S KING established a clear advantage over SQUARE GARDEN and the stable companions FORMALLY GOLD and BLACK THATCH (8-5) from early. He blew past the half mile some three lengths of FORMALLY GOLD who was sent in chase at his stage and turned for home with the filly almost on his rear end.
RELISHES A FIGHT
But no horse relishes a fight more than JOHNNY'S KING and when FORMALLY GOLD loomed large on the outside approaching the distance, the 4-y-o son of America's Pal-Grady's Testamony responded to some aggressive left-hand whipping from Lynch, foiling the gusty challenge of top weight FORMALLY GOLD under Charles Hussey for a thrilling victory.
BLACK THATCH, the mount of champion jockey Trevor Simpson, raced prominently to straighten third, but found the first two giving nothing away and ended up three lengths adrift, while REJECT, at 37-1, was fourth.
The 7-5 favourite THE MINISTER, with leading jockey Shane Ellis renewing his association with trainer Anthony Nunes who fired him as stable jockey last month, ran way below expectations to finish in the ruck, while Philip Feanny's imported colt CAPTAIN BONE slipped up in the starting gate and was declared a late non-starter.
JOHNNY'S KING is owned by Leroy Budhoo and trained by Richie Todd, who posted a second winner on the card in odds-on favourite CLASSY TANYA in race three over the straight five course.
CLASSY TANYA was one of five favourites to score on the 10-race programme which produced a stunning upset in the lightly raced filly DARLING ANNA at 178-1 in the sixth race over 1,400 metres for native bred maiden three-year-olds.
Ridden by two-time champion jockey Joe Buchanan for owners Sons of the Lane and trainer Enos Brown, the grey filly ran on strongly from just off the early pace to overhaul runaway leader LADY LAMMRARRA (3-1) in the last 100 metres, winning by 1 1/2L.
Leo 'Twitch' Miller took the day's riding honours with two winners in opening race favourite KYLE'S DIVA for trainer Lawrence Freemantle and DIANA'S HOPE at 5-2 for trainer Robert Darby Jr. in the closing straight five race for $140,000 claimers, the 5-y-o mare winning in a blanket finish involving four horses.
Mid-week racing takes a break this week to pave the way for the season's first classics, the Track Price Plus 1000 and 2000 Guineas on Saturday.
