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Mojito too classy for Kingston rivals

Published:Friday | May 5, 2023 | 12:40 AMAinsley Walters/Gleaner Writer
MOJITO, with Dane Dawkins aboard, wins the Supreme Ventures Limited Jamaica 2-year-old Stakes over a mile at Caymanas Park on Tuesday, December 27, 2022. Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer
MOJITO, with Dane Dawkins aboard, wins the Supreme Ventures Limited Jamaica 2-year-old Stakes over a mile at Caymanas Park on Tuesday, December 27, 2022. Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

WITHIN six weeks of easily landing the Prince Consort Stakes, establishing himself as the horse to beat in Sunday’s Kingston, a graded stakes race over seven and a half furlongs, MOJITO’s invincibility has come under question with the emergence of HUNTSMAN and ABILITY, flaunting combined winning margins of 29 lengths.

ABILITY, foaled by 2018 Thornbird Stakes and 1000 Guineas winner, Disability Charm, has twice floated away from rivals at six furlongs, improving his time from 1:14.2 to 1:12.4 in eight weeks. The Lion Tamer-sired colt has a BLUE VINYL look about him and could be as dangerous as his stablemate, who landed last season’s Kingston, 2000 Guineas and St Leger.

Despite looking better on his second outing, stepping up from six furlongs to almost a mile against the likes of MOJITO could be undoing of sneaky ABILITY.

HUNTSMAN is your typically Ian Parsard-trained runner, flashy on a well-timed debut as a three-year-old, blowing away maiden rivals by 14 lengths, clocking an amazing 1:33.4 for seven and a half furlongs, the last half-furlong in 7.2 seconds.

Returning to post 1:28.4 for seven furlongs at exercise last Monday morning, HUNTSMAN appears to be the real deal and, possibly, the main threat to tried, tested and proven MOJITO, champion two-year-old of last season.

Having shown his hand in the Prince Consort, stopping the clock in 1:26.2, MOJITO’s class was already exposed against the speedy fillies, who he dismissed from a half-mile out in December’s Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes in splits of 46.4, 58.3, 1:11.2, passing the furlong pole five lengths clear in 1:25.4.

Having clocked 1:41.1 in landing the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, MOJITO’s splits from that event are superior to HUNTSMAN’s 47.1, 1:00.3, 1:12.4 and 1:26.2, running as a three-year-old in April.

Though giving weight all around, battle-hardened MOJITO has class and experience on his side, which will only be upstaged if HUNTSMAN proves to be a titan in disguise, especially with a nine-pound advantage among his arsenal.