Stroll in the park for Mojito’s return

MOJITO, HALF-BROTHER to recent Errol ‘Big Sub’ Memorial winner RAINSVILLE, and the horse all thought would have swept his peers for the Triple Crown last season, returns from an 11-month hibernation for Saturday’s overnight allowance at six furlongs.

Despite the almost one-year absence, MOJITO’s searing speed, which he used to clock 1:37.2 in last year’s 2000 Guineas, cannot be scoffed at for the sake of a lay-up. Richard Azan has purposely aimed the quick grey at a middle-of-the-road sprint, six furlongs, not too sharp or too far, for MOJITO to use his destructive pace against rivals.

Scanning the exercise gallops, MOJITO clocked 1:28.4 for seven furlongs, on the round, not out the chute, the last six furlongs in 1:15.1. Reporting four days later out the mile chute, four days, not a week, MOJITO was clocked in 1:00.0 for five furlongs from the gate.

From POSING ALREADY at gate one to imported OASIS JAK out wide at eight, all of MOJITO’s rivals would die for any similar exercise gallop, not to mention coming off almost a year’s break. Throw in Dane Dawkins riding at 115lb, MOJITO, who, was four lengths off the lead a half-mile out in last year’s Mouttet Mile, should have a whale of a time two classes lower.

After losing his first two races as a two-year-old, MOJITO transformed in blinkers, winning five consecutive races from two-year-old maiden to 2000 Guineas, picking up the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, Prince Consort Stakes, Kingston 2000 Guineas trial and the Guineas itself until his glass chin was exposed at two turns in the 10-furlong St Leger.

Taken off Lasix for the 12-furlong Jamaica Derby, MOJITO led for nine furlongs but was cut down by ABILITY coming off the home turn, finishing fourth, a run the derby winner franked by placing second to American invader ROUGH ENTRY in the Mouttet Mile.

Out for the first time since the Mouttet Mile, MOJITO should enjoy a stroll at the park.