Intrestntimesahead gets revenge with St Leger win

INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD POUNCED on 2000 Guineas-winning stablemate, CALIFORNIA CROWN, three furlongs out as a team with 1000 Guineas heroine, RUN JULIE RUN, engaged in a stirring battle of the sexes, before pulling away inside the final furlong of yesterday’s 10-furlong Jamaica St Leger.

Making amends for his 2000 Guineas defeat to CALIFORNIA CROWN, INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD, last year’s champion two-year-old and Portmore Stakes winner, clocked 2:09.1 to finish three and a half lengths clear of CROWN CHASER, who closed late to grab second, by a neck, from brave RUN JULIE RUN.

Punters sceptical of INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD’s form at exercise sent him off as a 5-2 chance, opting for RUN JULIE RUN as the even-money favourite, won over by her glowing workouts and 1:42.1 clocking in the 1000 Guineas, two-fifths quicker than CALIFORNIA CROWN’s 1:42.3.

CALIFORNIA CROWN was chased off the lead by MACK AND ROME and SUPREMASI heading into the clubhouse turn before being sent clear five furlongs out by Robert Halledeen, hoping to steal a march as he had done in the 2000 Guineas.

However, INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD and RUN JULIE RUN, moving together from the half-mile marker, sandwiched the 2000 Guineas winner three furlongs out and peeled off from the pack, their riders rubbing shoulders swinging for home.

It didn’t take long for the colt to assert over the filly, Tevin Foster rousing INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD along the rail to inch away from Reyan Lewis throwing the works at RUN JULIE RUN, who put on a brave face to keep her rival honest to the furlong pole.

Approaching the last half-furlong, the old racing adage, ‘a good colt will always beat a good filly’, rang true as INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD powered home, handing leading rider Foster his first classic win and a four-timer on the 10-race card.

INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD also closed a four-timer for champion trainer Jason DaCosta, handing him his sixth classic winner and back-to-back St Leger winners following THALITA’s victory last year over MONEY MISER.

DaCosta and Foster gave varying reasons for INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD’s stunning loss to CALIFORNIA CROWN in last month’s 2000 Guineas, a defeat that cost the Bold Conquest-Myfriendlucy a shot at the Triple Crown.

“I was a bit impatient,” Foster recounted. “Today, I just sat and waited before asking him to run,” he added, suggesting that he had allowed himself to be drawn in a speed duel by going after CALIFORNIA CROWN too early in the 2000 Guineas.

Meanwhile, DaCosta, whose mother, Elizabeth, owns and bred INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD, said the colt had “niggling issues going into the Guineas”, adding, “he is not a flashy worker so that’s probably why the buzz wasn’t with him today”.

Foster’s earlier winners – SIMBA THE LION at 6-2 in the opening event, ZULU WARRIOR in the sixth, and DaCosta’s THALITA in the eighth – moved him 14 clear of Raddesh Roman atop the jockey’s standings heading into today’s nine-race card.

In addition to THALITA and INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD, DaCosta tightened his hold on what will undoubtedly be a third trainers’ title with victories from EAGLE ONE and MAMMA MIA, last year’s 1000 Guneas and Oaks winner, who made all at odds of 11-1 with claiming rider Shavon Townsend to land the Clovis Metcalfe trophy, stunning imported stablemate IS THAT A FACT, who chased throughout after being slowly into stride at seven and a half furlongs.