Stevie The Great downs Helicopter

STEVIE THE GREAT, who debuted as a four-year-old winner in July, ran like a seasoned pro yesterday to chalk up his fourth victory from six starts, hanging on by a diminishing short head to beat HELICOPTER flying at the finish of the five-and-a-half furlong sprint.

Quietly fancied at 5-2 after carrying the splits to the top of the lane at seven and a half furlongs against LET HIM FLY, when debuting among non-winners-of-four last week Saturday, STEVIE THE GREAT returned in similar form at the shorter trip, collaring 2-1 favourite K.D. ROCKET a furlong out.

Always prominent along the inner rail down the backstretch, STEVIE THE GREAT took the shortest route into the straight before accelerating impressively against the rail, getting rid of a faltering K. D. ROCKET leaving the furlong pole.

The Fearless Vision-Michelle The Boss gelding sprinted clear but had to be roused by Christopher Mamdeen after HELICOPTER fell out of the sky, flying at the finish with Chalrick Budhai, who started celebrating, believing he had won the event.

However, it was one of the rare occasions when the horse on the inner, STEVIE THE GREAT, held on to deny the runner farthest from the inner rail, clocking 1:06.3. STEVIE THE GREAT afterwards pulled up lame at the Clubhouse turn, forcing Mamdeen to dismount and head to the winners’ enclosure by foot.

WEEKEND JAZZ stayed on for third while K.D. ROCKET finished outside the frame, running without his customary tongue tie for the first time in 22 starts.

Meanwhile, Anthony Nunes, in a heated battle to win a third consecutive title, temporarily overtook Jason DaCosta lead atop the trainers’ stakes standings after landing the second event with down-in-class VERSATILE VISION.

However, DaCosta, who started the weekend with a $322,000 lead, which he had kept intact on Saturday by equalling Nunes with one winner, stuck his head back in front through HEART OF THE SEA, who was promoted to second in the sixth event following the disqualification of first-past-the-post MUM.

A magnet for riding infringements and suspensions, Aaron Chatrie took Spencer Chung’s MUM from post-position one in the four-and-a-half furlong straight event to almost the stands’ side, sharply cutting across 46-1 outsider HEART OF THE SEA, who was locked in battle with 4-5 favourite, I’VE GOT MAGIC.

The interference caused HEART OF THE SEA to lose momentum after seemingly set to win the battle against I’VE GOT MAGIC, who eventually finished second and was awarded the event by the stewards, who took down MUM’s number and placed her third.

Racing continues on Saturday.