“You are now seeing the quality of Another Vigorous and as he matures and moves into his four-year-old season he will only get better,” said trainer Rowan Mathie following the three-year-old demolition job of a knotty Open Allowance field to win the 7-furlong Gladiator Trophy at Caymanas Park on Saturday, December 29.

Mathie then disclosed that there was some disappointment in the camp concerning Another Vigorous’ performances as a two-year-old and also in the early part of his three-year-old career, especially his inability to deal with distances beyond five and a half furlongs (1,100 metres).

“Now it is different as Another Vigorous has come on by leaps and bounds and in the Gladiator Trophy, he brushed aside a good field including Hilly’s Halo, Campesino and Mr Universe to win in a decent 1:25.0 flat by 1 ¼ lengths and remember that he also won his previous race over the same distance in a time of 1:25.2,” the trainer said in the winners’ enclosure.

Ridden by Dane Nelson, Another Vigorous was waited on as the speed ball runners Mr Universe, Patriarch, Hilly’s Halo churned up the ground before giving way entering the final 400 metres stretch drive.

“This horse had some issues but he is running very well now and we will just let him settle and wait for next season to give him the freedom to see exactly what he is about. I am expecting much better things from him,” Mathie predicted.

Second went to the fast finishing Another Bullet (Daniel Satchell) and third to Hilly’s Halo (Dane Dawkins). The winning margins were 1 ¼ lengths by 1 1/2.

Another Vigorous is owned by Lloyd Davis.