In a heart-pounding, neck-and-neck finish, Crown Chaser delivered an electrifying performance to claim victory in the 2024 Jamaica Derby Classic race, leaving the Caymanas Park crowd on the edge of their seats on Tuesday.

Sent off as the 5-2 second favourite in the field of 11, the Anthony Nunes-trained and Shane Ellis-ridden Crown Chaser unleashed a blistering pace on the inside rails in deep stretch, edging out Run Julie Run (Reyan Lewis) by a mere half-length.

Captain Sparrow (Edgard Zayas), Crown Chaser’s stablemate, was hot on their heels, just a neck behind, while the 4-5 favourite, Intrestntimesahead (Tevin Foster), completed the frame in the Futurity contest for native-bred three-year-olds over 12 furlongs (2,400m).

Crown Chaser, owned by Chevan Maharaj, crossed the line in a winning time of 2:38.0 (23.3 x 48.4 x 1:17.1 x 1:42.2), propelling himself as the top native-bred three-year-old at present.

Maharaj celebrated his third Jamaica Derby victory, following wins with
Supreme Soul in 2019 and Calculus in 2021, both ridden by Ellis.

“We were confident coming into the derby, and having Shane in the saddle is always a plus. After finishing second in the Jamaica St Leger, Shane was confident, saying ‘I’ve got this one.’ And he delivered,” Maharaj said.

Nunes secured his sixth Jamaica Derby win, adding to his previous victories with
Terremoto (1998), Technomoto (2011), Relampago (2014), Orpheis (2016), and
Supreme Soul (2019), all ridden by Ellis.

“Leaving the six furlongs, I worried when Crown Chaser got a little when
Intrestntimesahead came on his outsie, but Crown Chaser regained momentum and followed down into the half-mile,” Nunes said. “I felt confident at that stage.
Captain Sparrow made a nice run on the outside, and at the top of the lane, I thought we had it. Run Julie Run pushed us to work overtime, but I’m thrilled with the win.”

Ellis rode his seventh Jamaica Derby winner, building on his previous victories aboard
Awesome Power (2001), Typewriter (2012), Relampago (2014), Orpheus (2016),
Supreme Soul (2019), and Calculus (2021).

“In the Jamaica St Leger, a bad draw on the outside of runners and I couldn’t come across in the race and that forced me to take back,” Ellis said. “I had to take a pull and I realised that I had pulled too far ack, but this time, with a better draw, I knew I couldn’t be beaten.
Crown Chaser delivered.”

As the starting gates open, California Crown (Phillip Parchment) sprinted to the front, taking the lead ahead of Run Julie Run and Oil Machine (Raddesh Roman), while
Crown Chaser settled comfortably in fourth position.

Run Julie Run soon surged to the front, passing the stands for the first time and taking the field around the clubhouse turn and onto the main track. Despite Intrestntimesahead challenging the leaders down the backstretch, Crown Chaser maintained his smooth gallop, poised for his moment to strike.

As the field approached the half-mile (800m) mark, Ellis gave Crown Chaser his head, and the colt slipped into third place, tracking Run Julie Run and Intrestntimesahead. But the real drama unfolded approaching the final bend, as Captain Sparrow made a bold move, sweeping wide to surround horses and forming a four-horse wall across the track at the top of the lane.

In the deep stretch, Intrestntimesahead faltered, leaving Captain Sparrow on the outside, Run Julie Run sandwiched between horses, and Crown Chaser on the inside rails, to fight for the win. Run Julie Run seemed poised to take the crown, but Ellis expertly kept Crown Chaser balanced and focused. In a thrilling finale, Crown Chaser dug deep, finding extra reserves to surge past Run Julie Run and claim the victory.

Jockey Oneil Mullings rode his 400th career winner when booted home Princess Akilah to victory in the ninth race. Mullings had won earlier aboard Mrs Lyndhurst in the eighth race to set stage for his milestone.

“I’m feeling great about this accomplishment,” Mullings said. “I must thank everyone for the support over the years.”

Racing continues on Saturday.