Nunes’ Allegiance upsets rivals in feature

ANTHONY Nunes saddled three winners yesterday, including 9-1 shot ALLEGIANCE, who closed fast along the rail inside the last half-furlong of the Sir Howard Stakes to nail 4-5 favourite J SPIETH at the wire.

Considered the first official 2000 Guineas prep, the Sir Howard Stakes appeared in the bag for Patrick Lynch’s J SPIETH, an impressive seven-length winner on debut three weeks ago.

Coming off the home turn along the rail in chase of speedy TEFLON DON and Nunes’ WORLD SURPRISE, J SPIETH accelerated to grab the lead, pulling away from the early pacesetters.

However, ALLEGIANCE, one of three Nunes entrants in the six-horse field, quickened along the rail from fourth position to take aim at J SPIETH, who, similar to his maiden win, drifted inside the last furlong, losing ground to his closing challenger.

Running dead straight with Reyan Lewis, ALLEGIANCE, the most experienced in the line-up with four runs under his girth, made every leap count, whittling away at J SPIETH ‘s lead to poke his head in front close home.

ALLEGIANCE won by a half-length in 1:16.1, three-fifths of a second slower than BANADURA, who virtually made all in Saturday’s fillies-only Hot Line Stakes, clocking 1:15.3, both getting the sympathy of pundits declaring the track as “running slow”.

Having won at seven furlongs on January 6, ALLEGIANCE’s come-from-behind win suggests he could be in for a season-long rivalry against J SPIETH when the classics get under way in June with the 2000 Guineas.

Nunes, a three-time champion trainer, closed his three-timer with course-specialist VOLATILITY at five furlongs straight in the night pan. POWER FROM ABOVE had earlier swept past UNCAPTURED EMPRESS the fifth at a a mile to give Nunes his first win on the nine-race card.

Paul Francis rode two winners to upstage the leading pair of Tevin Foster and Raddesh Roman. Francis guided home BIG ARGUMENT ahead of DON ALMIGHTY with Foster in the second event for $400,000 claimers at six furlongs, closing his two-timer with VOLATILITY, prevailing by a neck from a fast-closing CHAMPION BUBBLER.

Racing continues at the weekend with the start of the Easter Carnival, three meets in a week, highlighted by the Viceroy Trophy at a mile on Easter Monday, April 1.