Girvano pulls off Distinctly Irish Coup

JASON DACOSTA’S lightweight, GIRVANO, yesterday gave a glimpse of how competitive grade-one could be should foreign-bred horses, three-year-olds and upwards, debut at the third highest level instead of beating up on local-breds with one maiden win under their girths.

Carrying 101lb with Jordan Barrett in the Distinctly Irish Trophy at nine furlongs and 25 yards, GIRVANO floored none other than topweight stablemate, FUNCAANDUN, winner of last December’s US$250,000 Mouttet Mile, going by a half-furlong out for a one-length win, making the best of a 25lb advantage.

Sent off as third choice at 7-2 in the seven-horse field behind 4-5 favourite BARNABY and FUNCAANDUN at even-money, GIRVANO stayed in touch of the stalking bunch down the backstretch while another stablemate, MAMMA MIA, engaged in a match of rabbits with NEO STAR, setting kamikaze splits for FUNCAANDUN and BARNABY, respectively.

However, GIRVANO, who stepped up in class to the graded stakes-open allowance event with a 50 per cent win record from 10 starts, travelled the rail to go after FUNCAANDUN and BARNABY, who made their moves three furlongs out to relegate MAMMA MIA and NEO STAR.

BARNABY, reporting off a near five-month lay-up since beating ATOMICA and FUNCAANDUN in the Ian Levy Cup at eight and a half furlongs in April, came off the home turn flattening out as joint topweight 126lb, ceding second to rail-running GIRVANO.

Travelling strongly on the outside of FUNCAANDUN, GIRVANO kept gnawing at his topweight stablemate, gaining the advantage inside the final half-furlong, underlining the racing adage of ‘weight stops trains and grounds planes’.

As brave as he proved, FUNCAANDUN surrendered to the handicaps, losing no marks in defeat as the country’s top-rated horse, throwing a question at the handicapper: How could BARNABY’s victory against FUNCAANDUN, who reported off a four-month break in the Ian Levy, put him level at 126lb with the Mouttet Mile winner, who afterwards won back-to-back races?

Though DaCosta closed the late double with HIMAYA, sent off at a king’s ransom of 3-1 in the nightpan for native four-year-olds, non-winners of two races, and imported four-year-old maidens, the day belonged to rival Anthony Nunes, who starred the 10-race card with a four-timer.

Nunes notched a hat-trick, starting with American two-year-old debutant, FERNANDO, followed by PATIUM PRINCESS and UNCAPTURED EMPRESS, all out the straight chute, races four to six, before capping his feat with 6-1 mild upsetter, ENTHUSIASM, beating DaCosta’s PRINCE ROY in the eighth.

August’s meet closes next Saturday with a Reggae 6 mandatory payout, which opens at $6.1 million.