Lockdown stuns at 75-1 in feature race

THE form book was thrown out at Caymanas Park when 75-1 outsider Lockdown stormed from behind to capture the $1.25-million Nigel B Nunes Memorial Cup feature on Saturday. The four-year-old chestnut colt, trained by Ryan Darby and ridden by Paul Francis, defied one of the biggest odds in the 16-horse Overnight Allowance field over five furlongs (1,000m) straight, to win by a head. Breaking from post one, Lockdown raced behind the early pace as Starraura (Clive Lynch), Formalist (Robert Halledeen), Danka (Tajay Suckoo), and Miss MoneyPenny (Emelio McLean) all vied for the lead through sharp splits of 23.3 and 47.0. Francis kept Lockdown tucked in on the inside, well off the pace, while the fancied runners duelled for supremacy. Inside the final furlong, with the leaders tiring, Lockdown found something extra. Francis produced his mount with a well-timed run down the rail and got up in the final strides to deny another longshot, Johncrowjeff (28-1) with Jaheim Anderson in second, and Get A Pepsi (13-1) under Shaheem Gordon in third. The final time for the race was 1:00.1. The victory marked Lockdown’s first win at the Overnight Allowance level from his very first start. Trainer Jason DaCosta and jockeys Tevin Foster, Raddesh Roman, and Jaheim Anderson won two races each on the nine-race card. DaCosta and Foster teamed up with Birthday King in the second race and Runaway Star in the fifth race. Roman’s winners were Feeling Free in the fourth race for trainer Peter-John Parsard, and Sonny T and Chippy for trainer Oral Hayden in the ninth and final event. Anderson won aboard Golden Lawyer in the sixth race for trainer Phillip Lee, and Woodburn Hills for trainer Patrick Lynch in the seventh race. The action continues on the Heroes’ Day weekend with races on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.