Stuttering start won’t hurt Supernatural Power’s Anniversary Trophy bid

SUPERNATURAL POWER, allowed a conditions bye to massacre overnight-allowance runners in April’s World Vet Day Trophy, returns to open allowance for Saturday’s SVL 25th Anniversary Trophy, a level she had twice beaten last year before placing fourth in the grade-one Mouttet Mile.

Facing fellow American NAUTICAL STAR, who had shipped into the Mouttet Mile with a big reputation from Florida but finished a disappointing fifth, SUPERNATURAL POWER should again get the drop on the six-year-old in their second meeting, despite running out of a new barn, this being her second move from Philip Feanny’s yard after a brief stint with Anthony Nunes.

Refitted with a figure-8 for her first start under Adrian Prince’s name, Raddesh Roman has been retained to partner SUPERNATURAL POWER for her fourth consecutive race, hunting an eighth win from 14 starts.

Having established herself as a top-shelf grade-one runner since placing fourth behind LEGACY ISLE, RIDEALLDAY, and PACK PLAYS in last October’s Gold Cup at seven furlongs, SUPERNATURAL POWER confirmed her class with a similar fourth-place run in December’s US$300,000 Mouttet Mile.

NAUTICAL STAR won back-to-back overnight-allowance races this season after his Mouttet Mile flop before trying to run down LEGACY ISLE in last month’s Eros Trophy at six and a half furlongs. However, he was scorched by the speedy Mouttet Mile runner-up’s track record, 1:23.2, losing second to GIRVANO by a length.

SUPERNATURAL POWER is a natural fit at a mile, which allows her to recover ground she often loses at the start of her races. Whereas the likes of LEGACY ISLE and RIDEALLDAY have made her pay for stuttering starts, NAUTICAL STAR is yet to show the speed capable of catching the four-year-old filly flat-footed.

Omar Walker will try stealing away aboard NAUTICAL STAR, but won’t be able to slip SUPERNATURAL POWER, who went within a second of the track record at a mile in the World Vet Day Trophy and was two and three-quarter lengths behind RIDEALLDAY’s record run in April’s Ian Levy Cup at eight and a half furlongs.