Mamma Mia set to make hacks of rivals

RETURNING FOR Saturday’s Henry W. Jaghai Trophy at six furlongs, it is impossible to look past MAMMA MIA in an overnight allowance after her brave run with 121lb in the Allan E. ‘Billy’ Williams Memorial two Sundays ago.

MAMMA MIA jetted CAPTAIN CALICO off his legs down the backstretch and into the lane before dead-heat winners ATLANTIC CONVOY and FURTHER AND BEYOND joined her close to a half-furlong out after which she went down fighting to the very end.

Eased close home by Robert Halledeen when sandwiched by the closers, MAMMA MIA lost by two and three quarter lengths, ripping splits of 34.1, 46.3, 58.4, and 1:12.4, allowing ATLANTIC CONVOY and FURTHER AND BEYOND six and four pounds, respectively, going down in a time of 1:26.4.

Had she not done a hatchet job on CAPTAIN CALICO, the seven-furlong specialist would have set his own pace and possibly stolen a march if allowed to relax on the lead, a coup he had pulled off on ATLANTIC CONVOY last October and repeated against RHYTHM BUZZ in December.

Sent off as the 4-5 by backers who ignored her having to be hauled up leaving the half-mile on New Year’s Day in the Ian Levy Cup won by ATOMICA at eight and a half furlongs, MAMMA MIA appeared none the worse and was still full of running after shaking off CAPTAIN CALICO into whom she had bumped at the top of the lane.

MAMMA MIA’s effort in the ‘Billy’ Williams Memorial was another big run by the Soul Warrior-Princess Geeta filly, who, last year, showed vast improvement to land the Jamaica Oaks after shocking stablemate THALITA in the 1000 Guineas.

The surprise of December’s Mouttet Mile, MAMMA MIA carried the field for six furlongs, at odds of 44-1, before Florida invader ROUGH ENTRY jumped her at the top of the lane. MAMMA MIA was still second a furlong out behind five-length winner ROUGH ENTRY, eventually finishing third, a length behind last year’s Jamaica Derby winner, ABILITY.

Eligible by the conditions book, certainly not ratings, MAMMA MIA should make hacks of rivals, none of whom had even qualified to face the starter in the Mouttet Mile.