Girvano tramples Kenneth Mattis field

United States-bred GIRVANO, an open–allowance winner for champion trainer Jason DaCosta in January and runner-up to PHENOMENAL POWER in the grade-one Diamond Mile two months ago, yesterday trampled horses three classes lower in the Kenneth Mattis Memorial at nine furlongs and 25 yards.

Allowed a bye by the conditions book to compete among overnight-allowance runners, GIRVANO, who last year beat his stablemate, FUNCAANDUN, 2024 Mouttet Mile winner, in the Grade 1 Distinctly Irish Trophy, won the Kenneth Mattis by almost a dozen lengths, allowing local-bred runner-up, INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD, 17lb en route to clocking an out-of-class 1:54.2 for the trip.

Tracking TEFLON DON and INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD picking each other apart on the lead down the backstretch, 2-5 favourite GIRVANO waltzed to the lead approaching the last three furlongs and sauntered about his business in the stretch run, closing a two-timer for leading rider Tevin Foster, who had earlier won the fourth astride Lawrence Freemantle’s VICTORIOUS LINKS.

Foster moved to 70 winners, sharing riding honours with Shane Richardson, who opened the 10-race card with a mild upset astride 6-1 shot UNDISCLOSDLOCATION at four furlongs straight before enjoying an armchair ride in the third aboard 4-5 favourite MY ECLIPSE at a mile.

Meanwhile, two-time defending champion jockey Raddesh Roman edged to 63 winners after booting home KING CUSH, beating fellow three-year-old maidens at five and a half furlongs in the eighth, continuing his comeback from injury, which had sidelined him, allowing Foster to surge ahead in the jockeys’ title race.

DaCosta’s bid for a two-timer fell flat in the day’s open-allowance sprint, local-bred CALIFORNIA CROWN run off his legs by Gary Subratie’s American mare, DESERT OF MALIBU, whose number was taken down, disqualified for interference to the champion trainer’s runner while drifting out under Dane Dawkins’ left-handed whipping.

RAINSVILLE, who had attacked both speedsters on the outside, was awarded the event at odds of 7-2 after finishing second while CALIFORNIA CROWN was being snatched up by Tevin Foster.

CALIFORNIA CROWN was awarded second and DESERT OF MALIBU placed third after passing the post in front at odds of 5-2.

Whereas DaCosta benefitted from DESERT OF MALIBU’s disqualification, his Jamaica Derby runner-up, MAVERICK, was disqualified after passing the post second in the previous event, punished by the stewards for the exact offence, Robert Halledeen being the offender, ironically drifting into the path of Subratie’s GOD’S PLAN in the sixth event won by first-time starter, ALWAYS BOURBON, a maiden American importee trained by Ian Alexander.

Racing continues with a nine-race card this afternoon.