Nunes extends lead over DaCosta to $1.56 million

Anthony Nunes remained on course yesterday to snap Wayne DaCosta's 12-year reign at Caymanas Park, responding to his rival's double with a three-timer, extending his stakes lead to $1.56 million over the 17-time champion trainer.

Starting the day with a $924,550 lead, Nunes, hunting his first trainers' title, matched DaCosta's two winners, STORM and STRANGER DANGER, with a stinging three-timer - SUPREME SOUL, FOOT SOLDIER and KJ EXPRESS - who got a bullet start to go gate-to-wire in the closing 11th event.

Nunes grabbed the upper hand last Saturday when his BIGDADDYKOOL earned $2.2 million for second in the Diamond Mile behind WILL IN CHARGE, following the late scratch of the pre-race favourite, DaCosta's SHE'S A MANEATER, who bolted prior to the start of the $13.9 million event.

Nunes' showed off his prowess with what seems a never-ending stream of local-bred two-year-olds as his SUPREME SOUL made short work of DaCosta's EL GRINGO in the Andrew HB Aguilar Memorial at a mile for maidens, clocking 1:41.2 minutes, an ominous sign with the $4 million Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes expected to be the championship decider.

Meanwhile, DaCosta's imported STRANGER DANGER was impressive in turning back Nunes' local-bred, UNIVERSAL BOSS, clocking 1:12.1 minutes for six furlongs in a six-and-a-half length romp to land the Dye Job Sprint.

Racing continues at Caymanas Park on Wednesday then next Saturday when SHE'S A MANEATER could line up in a five and a half furlong sprint ahead of the Miracle Man at nine furlongs and 25 yards on Boxing Day.