Maneater strikes gold

SHE’S A MANEATER made short work of her only real rival, ANOTHER BULLET, in yesterday’s Gold Cup, searing to the lead four furlongs out before moving clear to win by seven and a quarter lengths at Caymanas Park.

Pushed out by Omar Walker, the 2017 Horse of the Year made it five wins from six starts this season, ticking off her 22nd career victory in 28 outings for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta.

Facing one of the weakest fields ever assembled for a Gold Cup, including stablemate HOVER CRAFT, Gary Subratie’s up-in-class SARATOGA SIGHT, out-of-form MONEY MAGNET, and ANOTHER BULLET, who she beat in her last two races, SHE’S A MANEATER was always racing the clock, which she stopped in 1:25.0 for seven furlongs.

Walker and DaCosta had two winners each on the 11-race card. DaCosta landed the fifth with 2-1 chance, SERGEANT RECKLESS, and Walker returned to make all with 7-2 shot ALL CORRECT in the seventh after booting home SHE’S A MANEATER in the sixth.

Champion jockey Anthony Thomas and apprentice Kiaman McGregor also rode two-timers. Thomas guided home LALA DIVA in the fourth at five and a half furlongs and won the eighth aboard CHIEF DIPLOMAT in a driving finish, holding off 99-1 outsider CASUAL PEACH at nine furlongs and 25 yards.

McGregor roused ALI inside the last furlong of the ninth race to earn a dead-heat with BALTUSROL going six furlongs and returned to close the programme at the same distance astride MIA AMOUR, sweeping past the pair of BLACK POINT and OBSESSION close to home.

Racing continues at Caymanas Park on Saturday.