DESPITE Drummer Boy’s victory in the Lloyd Lindbergh “Lindy” Delapenha Memorial Trophy on Saturday last (February 23), trainer Wayne DaCosta is insisting that his charge will have to improve leap and bounds to be competitive in the class above, Open Allowance.

Drummer Boy, ridden by stable jockey Omar Walker, fended off a late challenge from Lici’s Pepsi (Javaniel Patterson) by 1 ¾ length to win the Overnight Allowance event for three-year-olds and upward over eight furlongs (1,600m).

Drummer Boy, who was running with the blinkers as the 3-5 favourite, completed the distance in a time of 1:40.0 backed with splits of 23.0, 46.3 and 1:12.0.

“The performance was average at best. He ( Drummer Boy) was racing against a moderate bunch of Overnight Allowance horses, so Drummer Boy won an average race but the key shot was to win. The plan coming into the race was simple, the track seemed to be playing speed and so I told Omar [Walker] to try and get an easy lead but that was not to be.

“He sat close to the leader and went through at the half-mile and that was that. Drummer Boy is now in the Open Allowance company and that is a tough class and he has an uphill task at that level,” DaCosta offered.

Lici’s Pepsi was second with Uncle Vinnie third.

Drummer Boy, a four-year-old bay colt by Natural Selection – Preach Preacher, was winning for the fifth time from 21 starts with lifetime earnings of over $5 million.