Feanny turns on the Power

PHILIP Feanny swept the first two places in yesterday’s feature event for three-year-olds, non-winners of two races – the Simply Magic Cup – named for his 2002 Triple Crown winner, upstaging champion trainer Anthony Nunes’ 7-5 favourite, NEFERTARI, who finished down the track after rearing at the start.

POWER and GILBERT raced almost as a team from the halfway stage of the mile event, dominating rivals in the 12-horse field. United States-bred GILBERT led into the lane with veteran Everton Miller before six-time champion jockey Omar Walker urged POWER ahead shortly after straightening.

POWER, imported in-utero, won by three and a quarter lengths, at odds of 5-2, clocking 1:40.3, two weeks after finishing fourth behind EMPEROR OF THE CATS in the Prince Consort Stakes at seven furlongs.

The filly NEFERTARI, highly fancied to land her second race, after recovering from a horrible start to run out an easy winner on debut at six and a half furlongs, reported with bandages on all four and never got into the gallop at any stage of the race after rearing at the off.

Continued to dominate

Champion jockey Anthony Thomas continued to dominate the three-meet Easter Carnival, completing back-to-back three-timers to join Dane Dawkins and Dane Nelson atop the riders’ standings on 27 winners.

Nelson is back at Northlands in Canada after wintering locally, leaving three-time champion Thomas to battle with Dawkins, who rode one winner on the nine-race card, booting home 3-1 chance, DUKE, for Gary Subratie at five furlongs round among open-allowance company.

Thomas had to work overtime to get home 3-5 favourite QUANNA by three-quarter length, in the third event at five furlongs round after the five-year-old’s recent runaway victory among older maidens.

Though Thomas won the fifth by almost six lengths astride 3-1 chance, SHARP SKIRT, Lady Luck was literally in his corner as 7-1 outsider, FRESH CASH, returning off a near 19-month lay-up, was denied a clear run on the stands’ side, causing claiming rider Shavon Townsend to switch the eight-year-old grey gelding to mid-track late in the event.

Thomas closed his three-timer and sixth win in two days aboard Jason DaCosta’s SUNSET SILHOUTTE, who reproduced her glowing exercise form to beat three-year-old maidens at seven furlongs, clocking 1:27.3.

The Easter Carnival closes this afternoon with another nine-race card, featuring the Easter Sprint Cup for overnight-allowance runners.