The fleet-footed BUZZ NIGHTMARE humbled the reigning champion sprinter POKER STAR in yesterday's grade one feature for the None Such Sprint Trophy over 1,200 metres to record his fourth consecutive victory.
Going off a 9-5 second favourite, BUZZ NIGHTMARE, with Oneil Mullings riding for 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny, showed superior speed from the number-three post position to make all impressively.
He turned for home with the 3-5 favourite POKER STAR in hot pursuit and put paid to his chances by finding another gear, winning by 21/2 lengths from stable-companion CAMPESINO (7-2), who raced prominently in third with another four lengths to the 2015 Superstakes winner FRANFIELD (12-1) in third.
POKER STAR, who had beaten 'BUZZ' on the last two occasions they had met, faded quickly under top weight of 57.0kg with leading jockey Omar Walker accepting defeat from below the distance in the six-horse field.
Owned by 2 Penyu, BUZZ NIGHTMARE covered the distance in a fast 1:10.0 behind impressive splits of 22.1 and 45.0 for the first half mile. His final time was only three-fifths of a second outside the track record of 1:09.2 held by the mighty EROS (who was also trained by Feanny) since October 2, 1993, with Winston Griffiths aboard.
BUZZ NIGHTMARE'S main objective, according to his connections, is the prestigious Caribbean Sprint Championship over this trip in November, a race in which he finished fourth to the Wayne DaCosta-trained POKER STAR last year. But the 4-y-o bay colt by Into Mischief out of Queen OF Battle, bred by HAM Stables Limited, has only lost one of his five races since, having bled behind POKER STAR in the St Catherine Cup over 1,100 metres back in January.
Earlier in the afternoon, the grey filly VERY CLASSIC (8-5) also showed superior speed under champion jockey Shane Ellis to lead home the 1-2 favourite MONEY MAGNET by five lengths in the Terremoto Trophy, secondary feature for native bred two-year-olds over the round-five course.
Unbeaten in two starts, VERY CRAFTY clocked a fast 59.3 in the blue and black silks of veteran owner Alexander Hamilton, the oldest owner still active in the sport, his career spanning 50 years.
VERY CLASSIC was one of two winners for trainer Anthony Nunes, who completed a double with 1-2 favourite MEGATRON (Ellis up) in the fourth race over 1,500 metres for $250,000-$210,000 claimers. DaCosta and Rowan Mathie also saddled two winners on a day when the impressive 3-y-o filly, PINELOPE from the Patrick Fong stables, romped the fifth race over 1,700 metres in near track record time of 1.42.3.