Sir Don battles to Viceroy Trophy

SIR DON rallied against the rail yesterday to outbattle fellow American and stablemate OF A REVOLUTION, landing the grade-one Viceroy Trophy at five and a half furlongs, both upstaging 1-5 favourite PACK PLAYS, who struggled to show his usual blazing speed under joint topweight 126lb.

Expected to maximise his cruising speed against OF A REVOLUTION, whom he had beaten by two and a quarter lengths going six and a half furlongs in January, PACK PLAYS was instead taken out of his comfort zone by the seven-year-old, who had won last December’s Bruceontheloose Sprint when making his local debut on Mouttet Mile Day.

Chasing not being his forte, PACK PLAYS reluctantly raced second into the lane while SIR DON crept closer along the rail under Omar Walker. Burly OF A REVOLUTION kicked away from PACK PLAYS and his stablemate, WALL STREET TRADER, who had loomed four-wide at the top of the straight, but could not escape rail-running SIR DON.

Pointing a half-furlong out, SIR DON, a strong winner at six and a half furlongs in April’s Saint Cecelia Cup, pulled off to win by a length and a quarter ahead OF A REVOLUTION and a third stablemate, 29-1 longshot NEO STAR, handing Anthony Nunes a third winner on the 10-race card.

Nunes, who started the day trailing champion trainer Jason DaCosta by approximately $8 million in stakes earned, had earlier won the fourth and seventh events with American BOWMORE and NEBUCHADNEZZAR, respectively.

Champion and leading rider Raddesh Roman booted home a three-timer, opening the card astride four-year-old maiden ROUND THE TWIST, striking two races later with 1-2 favourite SIR DON against $500,000 claimers, before closing his tally aboard DIGITAL ONE, who made all at odds of 7-2, humbling DaCosta’s 1-2 favourite and fellow United States-bred DOTHRAKI.

Richard Azan’s classic hopeful, DARWIN, was an impressive winner going two turns in the Mr Lover Lover Trophy at nine furlongs and 25 yards after attacking leader JO BOXER three furlongs out. DARWIN’s fast-time win turned heads, stopping the clock at 1:55.2, but run on a track playing fast for weeks on which the likes of four-year-old GOOD CONSCIENCE, who started the day as a non-winner of three races, won the second event at a mile in a quick 1:41.1.

Racing continues at the weekend with a Saturday-Sunday meet to close June before July opens with St Leger weekend.