Burning Hedge lights up 1000 Guineas

BURNING HEDGE, kicked away from LINGUIST a half-furlong out in yesterday’s 1000 Guineas, rebounding from her narrow loss to SOCIAL AVIATOR in the May 4 Portmore, signalling the start of a Triple Crown bid after being crowned champion juvenile last year, beating colts and geldings in December’s Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes.

After a dull fourth-place run in April’s Thornbird Stakes and reporting for the Portmore short of a serious exercise gallop, BURNING HEDGE was taken to task at workout by Carl Anderson leading up to the Guineas.

Sitting well off the pace down the backstretch, 3-2 favourite BURNING HEDGE left the half-mile 10th with champion and leading rider, Raddesh Roman, while rank outsiders WAYNECHERRYLINKS and NO APOLOGY ran themselves into the ground with Thornbird Stakes winner HANSA stalking the pace from third.

HANSA cruised to the lead coming off the home turn but failed to quicken in the stretch run, inhaled by the wide-running pair of LINGUIST and BURNING HEDGE, who had improved rapidly with a sweeping run, which took her eight-wide into the lane.

An exchange of bumps between LINGUIST and BURNING HEDGE caused the stewards to announce an inquiry after the winner flashed past the post in 1:41.3 for a mile, briefly threatening to deny Roman a four-timer on the 10-race card.

Cleared by the stewards, the hot jock later said he was confident BURNING HEDGE’s late kick would have won her the 1000 Guineas.

LINGUIST stayed on for second ahead of 23-1 outsider, MIGHTY GULLY, whereas HANSA, who had won the Thornbird with a significant weight advantage, failed the Guineas test in a fourth-place run, sitting level at 126lb with the best of her peers.

Roman’s unchallenged march towards defending his first jockeys’ title, quickly appearing to be a farce, continued with him opening the programme astride 5-1 chance MAYA among $350,000 claimers at seven and a half furlongs.

Denied what would have been back-to-back winners and a five-timer by 22-1 stunner JAMES in the second, caught at the wire astride MILOS, Roman returned to make all with 3-5 favourite WOMAN IN LOVE, beating three-year-old maidens in the fifth at five and a half furlongs.

A last-gasp rally aboard champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s J SPIETH to nail OIL MACHINE stealing home with Dane Dawkins in the sixth at seven furlongs handed Roman his third winner before closing the card with BURNING HEDGE in the fillies’ classic.

Racing continues this afternoon with the colts and geldings squaring off in the 2000 Guineas. Gary Subratie’s SENSATIONAL SOUL is the ante-post favourite with Shane Ellis aboard.