Unbelievable Force romps Hussey feature

UNITED States-bred UNBELIEVABLE FORCE easily won yesterday’s Charles Hussey Trophy, outclassing local-breds at five furlongs straight, making amends for a below-par effort at five and a half furlongs three weeks prior.

Pointing UNBELIEVABLE FORCE to the stands’ side early, Raddesh Roman went sightseeing aboard the three-year-old filly, who clocked 58.3 as the 3-5 favourite, bringing down the curtains on closing day of the weekend’s Summit of Speed.

Roman was the day’s leading rider as he had earlier won the second aboard Patrick Lynch’s PRINCESS CATALEYA in a driving finish ahead of ROMAN PRINCESS in a fillies-only event for three-year-olds at five furlongs round.

Roman has a two-win lead, 125-123, ahead of rival Tevin Foster who used 8-5 chance EAGLE ONE to outfinish 1-2 favourite EMPEROROFTHE CATS in the fourth event.

Panamanian Dick Cardenas guided home ACKNOWLEDGEME for Oral Hayden in the co-feature Master Blaster Trophy, also at five furlongs straight.

Meanwhile, two-year-old STRONG MIND, trainer Lynch’s second winner on the nine-race card, became the third horse to win a $2 million bonus carryover in the BGLC-TOBA Millionaires Series, beating IDEAL WINNA in the Miss Ruth at six and a half furlongs for two-year-old maidens.

STRONG MIND, one of two horses in the eight-horse field, who did not come under the hammer at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association of Jamaica’s 2023 Mixed Sale, was made eligible for the added bonus by way of a $150,000 eligibility fee.

Coughing up $150,000 for the second consecutive Millionaires Series race, owner Garwin Tulloch, a director of TOBA, was duly rewarded after STRONG MIND had finished third behind bonus-ineligible HAZEL NUT on November 9, the event that forced a $1 million carryover to the Miss Ruth.

HIMAYA won the first $2 million bonus carryover in Series 3 for three-year-old maidens followed by United States-bred UNSPUN in Series 2, an open category for local and imported two-year-olds, winners and maidens.

Racing continues on Saturday in what will be a packed December schedule of seven meets, including Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, and Saturday, December 28.