A KING IS BORN storms home in stakes record time under Wesley Henry to beat stablemate SPIRIT OF JAMAICA, with apprentice Paul Francis, by four lengths in yesterday's Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes at Caymanas Park. -Rudolph Brown photo
Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter
PHILIP FEANNY'S A KING IS BORN yesterday made an auspicious Grade I debut, blowing away the best middle-distance horses in the land to romp home in the Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes by four lengths in class record time at Caymanas Park.
Ridden by former champion jockey Wesley Henry, the 2000 Guineas and Derby winner left the gate like a bullet from his number two stall but was soon joined and headed off within a half-furlong of the 1300-metre $1m event by 5-2 second-favourite FORGOTTEN HERO.
However, the 9-5 favourite A KING IS BORN stuck to his American-bred rival like glue heading to the half-mile marker and resumed the lead 3 1/2 furlongs out with only SPIRIT OF JAMAICA being within striking distance.
Swinging into the straight, Wayne DaCosta's FORGOTTEN HERO, unbeaten in his past three starts and carrying a featherweight 45.5 kilos with Peter Bryan aboard, had to be pushed to keep pace with A KING IS BORN blazing terrific splits of 22.2, 45.3 and ended up running wide, giving way to SPIRIT OF JAMAICA, who picked up the chase.
However, Howard Hamilton-owned A KING IS BORN was not for catching with 49 kilos and turned on the afterburners, reeling off a six-furlong split of 1:09.4 before shooting home four lengths clear over the last half-furlong.
SPIRIT OF JAMAICA stayed on for second with apprentice Paul Francis astride, completing the Feanny exacta and wide-running FORGOTTEN HERO held third from another Feanny runner, RAKKADASH at 10-1.
EASY WINNER
Henry, who returned to win the following event, the closing Sony Ericcson Sprint with DaCosta's DIGITAL, said A KING IS BORN's regular partner, Winston 'Fanna' Griffiths, who was unable to ride at 49 kilos, told him he was on an easy winner.
"'Fanna' told me from two weeks out I would win very, very easy," said the 1997 champion rider, who's joint second in this year's jockeys' title race with Francis.
"Up to Monday after his last gallop," he added. "Today before the race he told me I was on an eight-length winner. I give him all the credit. He knows this horse like his hand back."
Henry said he wasn't perturbed when FORGOTTEN HERO relegated his mount down the backstretch.
"I could have made one shake but the trainer said I was to break him and relax," he said. "It was I who allowed him to go on."
Hamilton wasn't on hand to see his champion runner blitz top class on his first attempt but Henry said the colt is the genuine article.
"He has a lot more to go and with HERECOMESFUDGIE are the best colts I've ever ridden," he said.
Even though Feanny swept the first two places in the day's big feature, DaCosta lengthened his lead in the stakes standings, moving to $18,934,650 with three winners on the card. Feanny moved his stakes tally to $18,251,300 in the two-man race for the trainers' title.
DaCosta opened the card with YOUNG FOR ALL and returned to land the third, the Digicel Cup, with unbeaten two-year-old CRUCIAL POINT. Both horses were ridden by Griffiths.
Ameth Robles also posted a double, LADY SHAKEERA in the fifth and TSUNAMI in the sixth, holding on by a nose to stave off fast-finishing HARLEY BARLEY with Robert Reid.
