Blue Vinyl steals Liu Chie Poo by a head bob Disappointing Mojito finishes down the track again

BLUE VINYL, 2022 Guineas and St Leger winner, yesterday got the head bob on 5-1 chance SUPREMASI at a mile, winning the Liu Chie Poo Trophy by a nose in an exciting last half-furlong duel.

Relegated to fifth down the backstretch after getting a sharp start to lead the overnight-allowance event briefly under Raddesh Roman, BLUE VINYL was afterwards held off splits being set by American SHEER DELIGHT under pressure from SUPREMASI.

MOJTO, last year’s Kenneth Mattis Memorial and grade-one Jamaica Cup winner, sent off as the 6-5 favourite on punters’ bye to make amends for a terrible run when reporting off a four-month lay-up in April’s Saint Cecelia Trophy, tracked SHEER DELIGHT and SUPREMASI into the stretch run.

SHEER DELIGHT blew the turn, giving way to SUPREMASI hunting his first win since last August. Meanwhile, MOJITO came forward menacingly between horses but lacked the kick of rail-running BLUE VINYL, who took aim at SUPREMASI stealing home under claiming rider Tajay Suckoo.

BLUE VINYL, beaten a length by down-in-class American IS THAT A FACT at nine furlongs on May 10, joined SUPREMASI approaching the last half-furlong, rallying against the rail close home to get the better of his fellow local-bred in 1:37.3 on a track that continues to run fast after throwing two track records in two months, RIDEALLDAY in April’s Ian Levy and LEGACY ISLE in the Eros Trophy two Saturdays ago.

INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD, St Leger winner 2024, finished third, six lengths aback, a half-length ahead of SHEER DELIGHT in fourth. MOJITO finished a disappointing fifth, a shadow of the horse who destroyed Americans in November’s Jamaica Cup before being outclassed by superior foreigners in the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile.

BLUE VINYL handed Roman back-to-back winners after an armchair ride astride Peter-John Parsard’s American DIESEL TRAIN, in the eighth for the Valbert Marlowe Memorial.

Roman was denied a third winner in the stewards’ room after crossing STORM BOY’s path in the third event aboard ABSOLUTE BLUE, penalised for his usual drifting antics after a jockey’s objection lodged by Phillip Parchment.

Jason DaCosta dominated the 10-race card with four winners, getting off the mark with American three-year-old debutant, NOVIO, in the second event. Robert Halledeen won back-to-back races astride DaCosta’s FORMALIST and CHOCOMO at five furlongs straight, leaving Aaron Chatrie to close the programme aboard the champion trainer’s three-year-old debutant, MAVERICK, who made all at six furlongs.

Racing continues at the weekend with a Saturday-Sunday meet to close June ahead of St Leger weekend, July 4-5.