Thalita upsets Triple Crown favourite to land St Leger

PORTMORE TRIAL Stakes winner, THALITA, got the perfect pace to stalk, capitalising on a woeful run from howling favourite, MOJITO, to upset rivals in yesterday’s Jamaica St Leger, winning by six lengths at odds of 9-1.

Rebounding from having to chase stablemate MAMMA MIA’s cracking splits in the 1000 Guineas at a mile, which caused her to flatten a furlong out after comfortably beating the speedster in the Portmore, THALITA played the anchor role to perfection in the St Leger, making her bid from third position off the home turn, pouncing on a tiring PRINCESS SHARON a furlong and a half out.

Champion trainer Jason DaCosta said a decision had to be made as to which of Carlton Watson’s two fillies would have taken the fall for the other to survive 10 furlongs against colts and geldings.

“My two fillies are pretty close in ability. We came up with a plan for one to take the pressure on the lead and the other to run on,” DaCosta said after watching THALITA pounce on PRINCESS SHARON, who was dragged down the backstretch by MAMMA MIA.

Speedy MAMMA MIA dashed to the lead from post-position seven, joined by PRINCESS SHARON, who closed the space along the rail, causing problems for inside-drawn MOJITO, who had to be taken in hand by Dane Dawkins after breaking from stall one.

Bounding on the lead down the backstretch with PRINCESS SHARON in chase and MOJITO stuck in traffic along the rail, choked in by THALITA on his outside, MAMMA MIA appeared likely to slip the field as she had done when going gate-to-wire in the 1000 Guineas.

However, a determined PRINCESS SHARON collared him at the top of the lane, travelling as though she would have struck at 26-1. She would not survive the charge of THALITA, who left a frustrated MOJITO flat-footed at the half-mile, making her move at the duelling leaders three furlongs out.

Straightening third, a length and a half off PRINCESS SHARON, whose stablemate, MONEY MISER, had made a similar move, challenging four-wide, THALITA changed gears, reproducing the stretch kick which had won her the Portmore at seven and a half furlongs.

NOWHERE CLOSE

Glancing behind to make sure MOJITO was nowhere close, leading rider Reyan Lewis rode out the filly for his first classic win, a quick return to the winners’ enclosure after booting home ZABRATONE in a $550,000 claiming race in the previous event. The win moved his tally to 57 winners, 17 clear of Tevin Foster and 18 ahead of Dane Dawkins.

“After the Guineas, I got on this horse and have been working her. I got to know her in that quick space of time. The last two furlongs is where you want to matter most. She had a lot of run in her and she gave us what she had,” said Lewis.

THALITA upset the Triple Crown aspirations of stablemate MAMMA MIA and money-back favourite, MOJITO, who finished a floundering eighth in the 12-horse field after enduring a troubled trip for six furlongs.

Dawkins, who rode three winners on the 10-race card, suffered consecutive shock defeats in the St Leger after ATOMICA’s loss to BLUE VINYL last year.

“He didn’t get a good break. I had to settle him. After that, the four-horse (PRINCESS SHARON) came down on me. I got no run at all. By the time he reached the half-mile, he flattened out,” said Dawkins, who returned to close his three-timer aboard down-in-class speedster GOD OF LOVE in the 10th, following victories aboard SEW CRET TRAVELLER and ATOMICA in the fifth and seventh races, respectively.

DaCosta hinted at his intentions with the 10-furlong Jamaica Oaks set for the same weekend as the Jamaica Derby at a mile and a half.

“We have to make a decision where we go next, the derby or the Oaks. She beat all the boys today, so we will see how she comes out,” he said.