Terrifying Bootylicious dismisses overnight company

BOOTYLICIOUS USED her terrifying speed, ripping splits of 23.4 and 47.0, to make MONEY MARKET and imported CHOCOMO appear slow in yesterday’s overnight allowance at five furlongs round.

Zipping from post-position three with champion jockey Reyan Lewis, BOOTYLICIOUS, last year’s Thornbird Stakes winner, made light work of rivals, clocking 1:00.0, which could have been lowered had Lewis not settled for a six and a quarter length win.

Backed down to 1-2 in the eight-horse field, defeat was out of the question for BOOTYLICIOUS, who was third last time out behind ABILITY and I AM FRED in higher open-allowance company.

MONEY MARKET outfinished CHOCOMO for second whereas seven-year-old LABAN closed for fourth, ageing legs not allowing him to be in the early fray.

Meanwhile, title-chasing Raddesh Roman booted home a three-timer to move within seven winners of leading rider Tevin Foster, the closest he has been to his rival in the jockeys’ standings since late March.

After both jockeys rode two winners apiece on Saturday, making it 72-62 in favour of Foster, the leader went winless on the nine-race card while Roman struck with BLINKIN LIGHT, OASIS JAK and SO BEAUTIFUL.

Making all the running with his mounts, BLINKIN LIGHT and OASIS JAK at five furlongs straight in the fourth and fifth events, followed by SO BEAUTIFUL at six furlongs in the John Clifton Wright Memorial Cup for three-year-old maidens, Roman continues to keep Foster on his toes as both riders bid for a first career title.

Robert Halledeen rode two winners, GOD OF LOVE surviving a stewards’ enquiry and jockey’s objection in the first event from second-past-the-post POWERR RANKING with Shavon Townsend. Halledeen returned in the closing event to make all at five and a half furlongs with champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s MOTIVATE ME BABY, another talented foreigner from the top barn getting off the mark by making hacks of hapless local-breds, non-winners of two races.

Racing continues on Saturday.