Super Stakes! - DaCosta anticipates tough challenge for She's a Maneater

Champion trainer Wayne DaCosta anticipates the toughest of challenges for the 2018 Burger King Super Stakes crown, from rivals and nemeses WILL IN CHARGE and 2016 winner BIGDADDYKOOL.

The Robert Pearson-trained WILL IN CHARGE has beaten the reigning Horse of the Year more than any other horse this year. He beat SHE'S A MANEATER for Legal Light trophy in April, then finished ahead of the DaCosta-trained horse in the Viceroy trophy in June, before rounding it off with another win over SHE'S A MANEATER in the Gold Cup a couple weeks ago.

Speaking to The Gleaner at yesterday's Burger King Super Stakes launch, DaCosta, noted his horse had a poor break at the gates in her previous race, and although he expects SHE'S A MANEATER to be at her optimum for this one, he predicts a very tough race.

"Unfortunately, she never got a good break out of the gate, and after the first half-furlong she was dead last. So the jockey had to turn her on the outside, so she didn't get the clearest of runs. But after that, I thought she ran pretty good considering the circumstances.

"She came out of that race pretty good and she has been working pretty good coming into this race, So it's all systems go at this time and we are keeping our fingers crossed that nothing more changes," he said.

Already beaten

He continued that "WILL IN CHARGE has beaten her three times already and he's a horse on the improve, so it's hard to judge how good he is. BIGDADDYKOOL is also back to himself, so they are worthy opponents.

She's (SHE'S A MANEATER) a filly and they (BIGDADDYCOOL and WILLINCHARGE) are two strong colts, so it's going to be a tough race, no matter how you take it," he commented.

He added that the years may now be taking a toll on the champion filly, but he remains very optimistic.

"She has been good at two (year-old events) and she has been great at three, and it's really hard to ask a filly to race three years in a row at maximum strength, but she is one of the few horses that can do it and we are hoping for the best come Burger King Day. So she definitely has a good chance," he added.

Meanwhile, the feature race, the Burger King Super Stakes, which is worth a purse of $4.5 million, will be accompanied by three co-features including the Coca-Cola Juvenile Sprints for native-bred two-year-olds over 1300 metres, for a purse of $1.1 million; the Coca-Cola Invitational Mile, over 1600 metres will go for a purse of $1.3 million, and the Glen Mills Caribbean Sprint championship over 1200 meters will be worth a purse of $2 million.

Other top-class horses expected to face the starter for the Super Stakes are PERFECT NEIGHBOUR and HOUDINI'S MAGIC. The Burger King Super Stakes take place on Saturday November 10.