Desert of Malibu puts None Such Trophy field to the sword

DISPLAYING HER 2023 form of five wins from as many starts – albeit disqualified on Mouttet Mile Day – five-year-old American mare DESERT OF MALIBU yesterday dismantled Jason DaCosta’s tag team of MADELYN’S SUNSHINE and IS THAT A FACT to complete a hat trick of wins in the six-furlong None Such Sprint Trophy.

Breaking like a bullet from post-position one under Raddesh Roman, DESERT OF MALIBU not only foiled any plan of relay tactics to chase her off the lead, but also beat DaCosta’s pair out of sight, leaving WALL STREET TRADER to claim the runner-up spot, beaten by eight and a quarter lengths in a blinding 1:10.1, the fastest time at the trip this season.

In stark contrast to her Lady Geeta Trophy victory when last out April 13, battling MAHOGANY in the stretch run before eventually pulling away – a win for which she was disqualified but reinstated on appeal – a transformed DESERT OF MALIBU turned up off a five-month break to put DaCosta’s runners to the sword.

IS THAT A FACT didn’t stand a chance against the Malibu Moon-Lady Digger speedster, forced to chase from the half-mile marker after stablemate MADELYN’S SUNSHINE struggled to get near a no-nonsense DESERT OF MALIBU, who shed a developing habit of breaking slowly, to rip unfollowable splits for the first two furlongs.

Leaving the far turn with a head full of steam, DESERT OF MALIBU had topweight IS THAT A FACT being pushed too early by Robert Halledeen, rigours which sent the four-year-old colt wide coming off the home turn, leaving him no chance of getting on terms.

DESERT OF MALIBU changed leads and opened up on WALL STREET TRADER, who had slipped into second along the rail. Asked to run by Roman, DESERT OF MALIBU, fired a warning shot at overseas entrants jetting into the island this week ahead of December’s Mouttet Mile, which she had missed last season due to an administrative bungle on the part of her connections.

Despite landing the feature and earlier booting home Philip Feanny’s importee, UNBELIEVABLE FORCE, in the fifth event at five furlongs straight, title-chasing Raddesh Roman lost valuable ground to leading rider Tevin Foster, who dominated with a four-timer.

Foster moved seven winners clear of Roman, 96-89, in their battle atop the jockeys’ standings, opening the nine-race card astride HIGH DIPLOMACY among $550,000 claimers at seven furlongs. Foster afterwards won the fourth astride ANOTHER WAVE out the straight course before returning to win the sixth and eighth races aboard ABSOLUTE BLUE and AWESOME ANTHONY, respectively.

Racing continues this afternoon, headlined by the Trevor McKenzie Trophy at five furlongs round as the closing event and race two of the BGLC-TOBA Millionaires Series, the eighth of nine events scheduled.