Race Car upsets Eagle One to claim Arthur Jones cup

UNITED STATES-BRED RACE CAR found an extra gear a furlong out to quicken past EAGLE ONE and EMPEROROFTHECATS in yesterday’s overnight allowance event for the Arthur Jones Memorial Cup at six furlongs.

Sparingly raced RACE CAR, who was laid up for his entire four-year-old season, last seen as a winner in August 2020, before returning in February 2022, reported off a three-month break to outfinish old rival EAGLE ONE in a battle of down-in-class foreigners.

Though last raced in May, 5-2 chance RACE CAR broke well with Shane Ellis from stall one to track the pace from fourth along the rail while EAGLE ONE duelled three-year-old speedster EMPEROROFTHECATS with up-in-class BATON ROUGE chasing the leaders.

EAGLE ONE found EMPEROROFTHECATS tough to crack on the lead while Ellis hustled RACE CAR to take closer orders, joining them early in the stretch run as BATON ROUGE blew the turn in his ambitious bid for a hat-trick among superior company after two victories against claimers.

Stalking sprinter

Dragged into EMPEROROFTHECATS’ pace, EAGLE ONE, normally a stalking sprinter, threatened on the outside a furlong out but flattened while RACE CAR found extra along the rail, responding to Ellis’ whip with a strong kick inside the final half-furlong, winning by a length and a half in 1:13.3.

Ellis, who grabbed his first win of the afternoon in the fifth race aboard SPECIAL COUNSEL in a $750,000 claiming event at five and a half furlongs, used RACE CAR to wrap a three-timer and a double for the owner-trainer combination of Lakeland Farms and Spencer Chung.

The two-time champion jockey produced Lakeland Farms’ United States-bred three-year-old debutante, even-money favourite CHAMPION BUBBLER (Tapiture-Countess Clare), powering past speedy PHOENIX RISEN, who was swallowed by a cavalry charge after trying to make all at five furlongs straight in the ninth event.

Defending champion jockey Anthony Thomas also notched a three-timer, enjoying a good day in his heated battle with leader Dane Dawkins atop the riders’ standings.

Thomas rode a two-timer for Richard Azan, PERFECT BREW (8-5) and JOSH (7-1), in the fourth and eighth events, respectively, in addition to going all the way with Jason DaCosta’s SUPER DUPER in the seventh at odds of 9-5.

Dawkins, who started the 10-race card five wins clear of three-time champion Thomas, booted home Gary Subratie’s 6-5 favourite GREAT TRICK at five furlongs straight in the sixth event. Dawkins, who won his first Jamaica Derby with Subratie’s ATOMICA two weeks ago, starts this afternoon’s nine-race meet with a three-win lead in a spirited bid for his first jockeys’ title.