Intrestntimesahead lands Caymanas feature

INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD yesterday capitalised on the revolving door of condition races and Jason DaCosta’s smart move of seating claiming rider Anthony Allen, to score a workmanlike win over stablemate BRENDA BOY in the Will In Charge Trophy at a mile.

An overnight-allowance winner at seven furlongs on May 3, INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD returned to the scene of the crime, primed for the Will In Charge after finishing down the track in the Bruceontheloose Sprint on Mouttet Mile Day, December 6.

Allen, an extremely confident claiming rider, who was given a second chance by DaCosta after being handed a two-year ban for being in possession of an electrical device in August 2020, rode a peach of a race aboard INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD, last year’s 2000 Guineas runner-up and Jamaica St Leger winner.

Breaking sharply from stall eight in the nine-horse field, Allen settled INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD on the lead exiting the mile chute, unbothered when slowly-into-stride American, SHOOTING STAR, pointed briefly along the rail coming across the dummy rail.

Glancing between his legs at twin dangers, RAINSVILLE and United States-bred DIVINE FORCE, alternating third-fourth as a team, Allen increased the tempo just enough for INTRESTNTIMESHEAD to resume the lead from SHOOTING STAR without peeling away from his pursuers.

Asked to inject pace leaving the three-furlong marker, INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD caught RAINSVILLE and DIVINE FORCE flat-footed, the four-year-old’s main threat emerging from fifth place, MARK MY IDENTITY weaving his way into second coming off the home turn.

Arguably the most improved three-year-old this season since moving to Byron Davis’ barn after the passing of Enos Brown, MARK MY IDENTITY charged forward in the stretch run, rapidly reducing a three-length lead held by INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD.

However, Allen who was beginning to make quite a name for himself before his lengthy ban, cheekily switched to left-hand whipping a furlong out, drifting INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD by a sliver, causing Dane Dawkins to briefly anticipate an interference which never happened.

The respite was all Allen needed to drive home INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD inside the final half-furlong, winning by two and a quarter lengths from late-charging BRENDA BOY in 1:40.1, handing DaCosta his second winner on the nine-race card after female claiming rider Abigail Able booted home her annual Christmas winner, TAYLOR MADE, beating two-year-old maidens by a city block in the seventh at five furlongs round.

Anthony Nunes also saddled two winners, THE REAL IDENTITY in the opening event with Raddesh Roman, who returned to the second with SUCCESSFUL MAN for Errol Burke.

Dane Nelson, who earlier won the fourth with WICKED CASSIE, was back in the winner’s enclosure in the eighth astride Nunes’ BRAHMA BULL.

Racing continues at the weekend, Friday’s Boxing Day meet followed by Saturday’s season-closing card.