It’s Reasonable Press by a neck
Reasonable Press pulled off a narrow but exciting win in the $715,000 Overnight Allowance highlighter at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Ridden by Winston Griffiths for celebrated trainer Philip Feanny, Reasonable Press came running on to overhaul his joint even-money favourite Commanding Chief, ridden by Shane Ellis, by a neck going 1,600 metres. The winning time was 1:38.1 minutes.
The American-bred chestnut horse, however, had to survive a brief Stewards’ inquiry as a result of a bumping match with Commanding Chief in the drive for the wire.
It was an incident which trainer Feanny dismissed as not serious. “It was more of Commanding Chief coming out than Reasonable Press going in,” he offered.
Owned by Hamark Farms, Reasonable Press was winning for the first time from his last 13 starts. Formerly campaigning in Open Allowance company without much winning success in his last 12 starts, Reasonable Press took a drop in class and immediately returned to winning form following a near miss on last in the King’s Plate feature when he went down by one-half length after suffering interference in the stretch run. Feanny said that the next step is to return to Open Allowance company.
Well handled by Griffiths approaching the home turn, the marquee jockey then produced Reasonable Press with devastating run in the rush for the wire to collar Commanding Chief some 20 metres out then held the upperhand to the wire.
Derby prospect Hover Craft, ridden by Dick Cardenas, ran enterprisingly in what could be his final prep for the second leg of the native-bred three-year-old Classic to finish third as a 22-1 betting option. The American bred-filly Miss Boss Lady completed the frame under Omar Walker at odds of 12-1 after trailing the field for most of the journey. Twelve ran.
Reasonable Press, a five-year-old chestnut horse by Mass Media out of Reasonable Thought (Peaks And Valleys) was bred by B&B Bloodstock, Marty Hughes & Desmond Ryan in the USA. He was winning for the seventh time from 26 career starts and earned $390,400 as the winner’s share for a bankroll of $4,613,300 lifetime.
Meanwhile, Anthony Nunes and Gary Subratie, who are second and third, respectively, on the trainers championship standing, each saddled two wins on the 11-race card. Subratie was first to strike in race two with the 21-1 chance Swapped, ridden by Panamanian jockey Ameth Robles. Nunes then answered with the 2-1 shot Principe in the third ridden by Dane Nelson. Nunes went ahead in the seventh with the 7-2 bet Aquamoto ridden by Ellis. Not to be outdone Subratie saddled Stormy Glitter ridden by Walker in the eighth for his second to share training honours.
No rider rode more than one winner with Walker and Nelson among them to keep their championship struggle keen with Walker leading on 40 and Nelson on 38.