Is That A Fact makes light work of Chairman’s Trophy
With a run of exquisite command and mastery against a capable field of only five runners, Is That A Fact
swept all before him in an exhilarating stretch run to win the $2.5-million Chairman’s Trophy, the main attraction on Saturday’s 10-race card.
Despite totting only 46 kg (101lb), four-year-old bay colt Is That A Fact defeated two-time Horse of the Year
Atomica and last year’s Mouttet Mile winner Rough Entry by 2 ¼ lengths over seven-and-a-half furlongs (1,500m) to cement himself as one of the country’s top runners at present.
Owned by champion Carlton Watson, trained by champion Jason DaCosta, and ridden by the promising Jordan Barrett,
Is That A Fact completed the Graded Stakes/Open Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward in a time of 1:32.1 (23.4 x 46.3 x 1:11.1).
Barrett held Is That A Fact in third place down the backstretch, trailing Atomica (Dane Dawkins) and Rough Entry (Shamaree Muir). Barrett then sent through the bay colt to fight Rough Entry going into the half-mile (800m) turn as they both pulled away from
Atomica.
Unable to accelerate with Rough Entry, Is That A Fact took a back seat approaching the distance before delivering a thunderous run in deep stretch that saw him surge to the front at the half-furlong (100m) pole and win easily at the wire.
Meanwhile, Tevin Foster booted home two winners to take the jockey’s honours. Foster won aboard Basilicus for trainer Joseph Thomas in the sixth race and Amazing Force for trainer Philip Feanny in the eighth race.
Racing continues today with 11 races on offer, with the first post at 11:15 am.
