Major Danger hunts Father’s Day hat-trick

MAJOR DANGER has risen from underdog to a star sitting on a hat-trick of wins should he close out a third victory over INSPIRE FORCE in Sunday’s restricted stakes at seven furlongs.

Both runners are owned by A. C. K. Stables but report from differing ends of the trainers’ totem pole. INSPIRE FORCE and stablemate PLATINUM FORCE, both of whom MAJOR DANGER had behind him in back-to-back wins, take orders from 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny whereas MAJOR DANGER, who shares the same owner, is conditioned by Anthony Dixon, who has had fewer wins than one dares to remember.

However, MAJOR DANGER, who first shocked INSPIRE FORCE and PLATINUM FORCE as a 19-1 outsider on April 22, making every yard of the running with Javaniel Patterson, seems set to hand Dixon his best-ever moment in racing – a hat-trick of wins over a Feanny pair.

Unconvinced by MAJOR DANGER’s upset win, sceptical punters sent him off at joint 5-2 with INSPIRE FORCE for the second time at six and a half furlongs. This time around, MAJOR DANGER wore down AWESOME ANTHONY to run through a furlong out.

INSPIRE FORCE tried challenging AWESOME ANTHONY as a team with MAJOR DANGER but was left a length and a half behind at level weight, confirmation that he lacked the finishing power to turn the tables.

Though he returned to chase down LEGIT BOSS at five and a half furlongs on June 4, winning in a fast 1:06.2 with visor removed, INSPIRE FORCE faces superior speed with AWESOME ANTHONY again expected to carry the fractions.

MAJOR DANGER being fitted with a visor suggests that Dixon wants his hat-trick seeker to be closer on the lead, getting first run on INSPIRE FORCE, a notorious late-charger, who could have appreciated the visor being removed for his victory against LEGIT BOSS.

Looking fluent in a six-furlong spin, clocking 1:16.0 last Sunday morning, MAJOR DANGER appears to be improving with each run and should be followed against runners who he has proved himself against in consecutive races.