Ainsley Walters, Staff ReporterIT WASN'T as easy as the experts predicted, but Philip Feanny's SIMPLY MAGIC yesterday repelled a last-furlong rally from BLACK THATCH to win the Cable and Wireless World Talk Jamaica St. Leger, crowning herself the first ever Triple Crown-winning filly at Caymanas Park.
Not since MONEY MOON completed the feat in 1937 at Knutsford Park had another filly gone the distance of winning the 1000 Guineas, Jamaica Derby and St. Leger, the three most desired jewels in local racing.
Big-race jockey Winston Griffiths, who booted home Caymanas Park's first Triple Crown winner, ROYAL DAD back in 1981, rode a well-timed race aboard the speedy filly, handing himself and Feanny five Triple Crown winners each.
Wayne DaCosta's BLACK THATCH, who had bypassed the June 15 Jamaica Derby after chasing home SIMPLY MAGIC in the 1000 Guineas and Jamaica Oaks, made sure Griffiths and Feanny's star worked for the lion's share of the $1.75 million purse, finishing a length-and-a-half second in a brave wire-to-wire bid.
Partnered by leading rider Trevor Simpson, BLACK THATCH rushed to the lead passing the stands for the first time and led down the backstretch with SIMPLY MAGIC in tow. Percy Hussey's BROTHER DANIEL moved up to challenge SIMPLY MAGIC for second six furlongs out, relegating the filly to a close-up third but could not crack BLACK THATCH on the lead.
Rated in third, SIMPLY MAGIC was sent past BROTHER DANIEL 4 1/2 furlongs out but Griffiths didn't ask her to take on BLACK THATCH until the 2 1/2 pole. Asked to run, SIMPLY MAGIC changed gears and thundered into the straight a length-and-a-half in front with only BLACK THATCH anywhere in sight.
Similar to her other Classic wins, SIMPLY MAGIC looked ready to blast away two furlongs out but BLACK THATCH, whipped up by Simpson, dug in determinedly along the rail and kept the Derby winner honest for the entire stretch run. FROM RUSSIAWITHLOVE, the Derby runnerup, came from way off the pace for third. DaCosta's other runner, MEDIC ON BOARD, finished fourth.
"When we couldn't pass her at the half-mile I was a little worried," Feanny said after the race, "but when we drew alongside her comfortably after that I knew we had a 90 per cent chance."
BLACK THATCH, Feanny said, was always going to be SIMPLY MAGIC's main threat, coming into the race fresh with an impressive warm-up run under her girth.
Winning owner and breeder, David Willers, described the dark bay filly's history-making feat as "a good feeling".
"Her mother (FONTAINBLEU, now deceased) was a good horse," he said. "At last she gave me a good one. It must be the colour. The others before her came out as chestnuts."
