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Desert of Malibu outrageously good

Published:Sunday | January 14, 2024 | 12:10 AMAinsley Walters - Gleaner Writer
Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer DESERT OF MALIBU (right), ridden by Dane Dawkins, wins The Catherine Cup ahead of MADELYN’S SUNSHINE (Tevin Foster) over six furlongs, a three-year-old and upwards open allowance stakes, at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer
Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer DESERT OF MALIBU (right), ridden by Dane Dawkins, wins The Catherine Cup ahead of MADELYN’S SUNSHINE (Tevin Foster) over six furlongs, a three-year-old and upwards open allowance stakes, at Caymanas Park yesterday.

DESERT OF MALIBU, treasonously carrying 114lb, ridiculously 12lb lighter than local-bred topweight, EMPEROROFTHECATS, yesterday proved she belongs among grade-one runners, spotting the field 10 lengths, before chasing down fellow American MADELYN’S SUNSHINE to win the six-furlong St Catherine Cup by a length.

Rearing at the start with Dane Dawkins, the five-year-old mare, whose local record was blemished by disqualification for interference last out December 2, repaid backers in her most impressive display of six starts, turning for home way behind MADELYN’S SUNSHINE’s torrid splits of 22.2 and 46.1 for the opening quarter and first half-mile, respectively.

Track announcer Brian Rickman’s call, “DESERT OF MALIBU with a mountain to climb from here”, took an about turn after the American motored in the stretch run to go second past EMPEROROFTHECATS a furlong out.

“DESERT OF MALIBU coming from nowhere. MADELYN’S SUNSHINE under a cloud,” Rickman closed as Dawkins roused the out-of-class mare, who won as a money-back favourite in 1:12.3.

Having missed the US$150,000 Mouttet Mile run on December 2, because of her connections not formally signalling their intent by the September 30 deadline, DESERT OF MALIBU instead ran in the grade two Bruceontheloose Sprint but suffered her first ‘loss’ on local soil, her number taken down after hindering MADELYN’S SUNSHINE near the half-mile marker.

Despite yesterday’s outrageous display of talent, which rates her as a top-shelf grade-one runner, DESERT OF MALIBU will again race among open-allowance horses in her next race, putting the condition book to shame.

Meanwhile, Raddesh Roman, who rode up a storm in the last quarter of the 2023 season to finish fourth in the standings behind Reyan Lewis, Tevin Foster and Dane Dawkins, booted home back-to-back winners, LORD CAESAR and ZABRATONE, to join Foster on five wins atop the jockeys’ table.

Carlton Cunningham saddled two winners – ZABRATONE and SPEEDIE HARE – to emerge the day’s top trainer.

Racing continues in January with back-to-back Saturday-Sunday meets to close the month.