Further And Beyond destroys rivals in Levy Cup

FURTHER AND BEYOND brought down the curtains on yesterday’s 11-race card, and possibly Jason DaCosta’s bid to dethrone trainer Anthony Nunes, by scoring a staggering seven-length victory over Jamaica Derby winner CALCULUS in the $4 million Ian levy Cup at eight and a half furlongs, clocking a stakes record 1:43.2 with topweight 126lb.

The colt’s sensational victory, following his loss to imported EROY, two weeks after a scintillating run-on win in the $6 million Jamaica Cup, propelled Nunes to a $1.2 million lead with today’s 11-race card to navigate.

The top barns are again expected to dominate the Boxing Day programme, with Nunes precariously banking on horses who raced yesterday, the likes of GENERATIONAL and KING’S MAGICIAN, to return in cheaper fields this afternoon.

Third straight title

GENERATIONAL was among four winners on the programme for Nunes, his seventh in two meets, determined to land a third straight title after finally dethroning his rival’s father, the late Wayne DaCosta, to whom he was bridesmaid for many of the 18-time champion trainer’s run of 14 consecutive crowns.

Jason, who took over Wayne’s high-powered barn in March, backed by top owners such as Carlton Watson, his mother Elizabeth DaCosta and Von White, among others, is hell-bent on restoring his father’s legacy, setting up an all-out battle on the final day of the season.

Starting the morning $740,000 in arrears, after his stinging hat-trick last Thursday whittled DaCosta from $1.2 million, Nunes posted three winners – GENERAL MUBARAAK, GENERATIONAL, and CURLIN’s AFFAIR – but his rival had two of his own in reply, THEGOODLIFE, and a filly going places, SHE’S MY DESTINY, edging to $800,000 in front.

However, Nunes had his trump card up his sleeve, a no-nonsense Robert Halledeen partnering three-year-old FURTHER AND BEYOND, taking over from meek-and-mild Linton Steadman. Halledeen, who Nunes has turned to since Steadman lost aboard FURTHER AND BEYOND when beaten by EROY, made no mistake with the two-time champion trainer’s business after earlier booting home GENERATIONAL and CURLIN’S AFFAIR.

Positioning FURTHER AND BEYOND in fourth down the backstretch, watching terrific splits set by stablemate SPARKLE DIAMOND being chased by last year’s derby winner, KING ARTHUR, Halledeen let the chestnut loose leaving the three-pole, starting a momentum that took his mount to the lead within a furlong.

“Shooting past SPARKLE DIAMOND,” as called by track announcer Brian Rickman two furlongs out, FURTHER AND BEYOND made 126lb seem like 106lb, opening up daylight on joint topweight, CALCULUS, who tried to track him into the lane but was left standing and had to graciously accept second-money ahead of stablemate CRIMSON.

The champion two-year-old of last season, FURTHER AND BEYOND, was expected to dominate this year’s three-year-old classics but has had a storied 2021, swerving at the start to finish third in June’s 2000 Guineas won by DaCosta’s MINIATURE MAN, with whom he had featured in a yet-to-be-resolved dead-heat drama in the Kingston - the Guineas prep.

A 3-2 favourite in July’s St Leger, FURTHER AND BEYOND disappointed his connections, beaten six and three-quarter lengths by former stablemate CALCULUS, who had changed hands after the Guineas, moving to Gary Subratie’s barn.

Running without the visor in August’s Jamaica Derby, FURTHER AND BEYOND shot off the turn looking like a winner but was collared close home by CALCULUS and BILLY WHIZZ, denying him a jewel in the Triple Crown series.