Rani Bangala stuns Mojito in ‘Big Sub’ Subratie feature

RANI BANGALA, the four-year-old daughter of former top-level sprinter PALACE GOLD, yesterday stunned her 10 rivals, including the screaming favourite, 2000 Guineas winner MOJITO, making every post a winning one in the Errol ‘Big Sub’ Memorial at a mile for overnight-allowance runners.

Though a standout in the form book with three consecutive wins, each more impressive than the other at increasing distances, Robert Pearson’s RANI BANGALA was kicked out of the betting and went off at 12-1 as punters gave three-year-old MOJITO (2-5) the thumbs up for a return to the winners’ enclosure after flopping in the St Leger and Jamaica Derby.

However, RANI BANGALA never received that memo in her inbox, leaving her wide draw in haste to take charge of the event, with Raddesh Roman again proving how deadly a rider he is when aboard a front-runner.

Floating down the backstretch with HOIST THE MAST in chase and MOJITO recovering from a horrible start to go third, RANI BANGALA kept finding extra gears, leaving the half-mile marker to straighten clear and full of running.

MOJITO, reporting off a two-month lay-up with blinkers removed, though having won five consecutive races in blinders, shockingly failed to pose a threat after making his bid three furlongs out.

RANI BANGALA powered off the turn, leaving MOJITO in her wake, sprinting clear under Roman to clock an eye-catching 1:38.3 ahead of SUNSET SILHOUTTE, who closed against the rail to secure the runner-up spot but on a different planet, all of 16 lengths behind.

MOJITO finished third, sending Richard Azan back to the drawing board after taking the Savoy Stomp-Fiftyshadesofray colt off lasix for the derby followed by yesterday’s ditching of the visor.

Roman rode two winners in consecutive days of the Heroes Weekend triple-header, having earlier made all with CUSTER to beat $400,000 claimers at five and a half furlongs in the fourth event, handing trainer Saqlain Roman his first career win.

Champion jock Dane Dawkins also visited the winners’ enclosure twice, landing the second event in a driving finish aboard EMPRESS NAKELIA to nail HUNZA at the wire.

Dawkins returned to make it two in a row for Gary Subratie’s speedy United States-bred DESERT OF MALIBU, who outsprinted Patrick Lynch’s ATLANTIC CONVOY at five furlongs straight in the eighth.

Racing continues this afternoon with the Philip Feanny Gold Cup at seven furlongs as the feature event, a grade-one thriller pitting last year’s winner, MAHOGANY, against old rivals SHE’S MY DESTINY and I AM FRED.