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Mild upsets rock Reggae 6
October 13, 2025
SATURDAY's Reggae 6, a $478,689 mandatory payout, started like a kitten, 5-2 chance BUSHFIRE rallying to beat 4-5 favourite ABREATHOFFRESHAIR by a head before money-back banker, GOD OF LOVE, won the second as a 2-5, down-in-class favourite should, three and half lengths clear of JON P at five furlongs round.
However, as if sensing that it was mandatory-payout day, the Reggae 6 turned into a beast thereafter, starting with 9-1 shot HAVAJOY denying 9-5 co-favourite, ROCK-OLA, by a short head at seven and a half furlongs in a showdown of unpredictable four-year-old maidens.
Repelling ROCK-OLA gate-to-wire, HAVAJOY sent many bets tumbling, many others to fall with 7-1 chance STAR QUEST, the first of two mild upsetters for champion trainer Jason DaCosta on the nine-race card.
Surging against the rail, from off the pace, STAR QUEST turned the tables from September 13 on I'M OUTSTANDING, beating the 3-5 favourite by a half-length at six furlongs.
I'M OUTSTANDING, who first fought off HAZELNUT, had finished six and a quarter lengths clear of STAR QUEST as runner-up to MARK OF IDENTITY on September 13 after both had disputed the lead at seven furlongs.
UNRULY MO was the likely winner of the fifth, despite getting odds of 2-1, following the early scratch of MISS MONEYPENNY. The three-year-old American recovered from a slowish start to outfinish STRONG MIND and BOWMORE at five furlongs straight.
Another American, 8-1 upsetter, WORKOUT CRU, running among native non-winners of three races, benefitted from a bustling claiming rider, Demar Williams, outfinishing his batchmate, Tyrese Anderson, who had the benefit of the faster stands' side but not the dexterity to switch his whip from left to right, each left-handed strike sending his mount running dangerously towards the outer rail.
Later, MAMMA MIA, the 2023 St Leger winner, used unrelenting speed to stage a rail rally against later-disqualified MONEY MARKET, sprinting clear for a four-and-a-quarter length win in the six-furlong I'msatisfied Trophy for DaCosta.
Breaking sharply in chase of MONEY MARKET, MAMMA MIA took over after a furlong, Jerome Ennis closing the rail on Dane Dawkins heading into the half-mile marker.
Shifted by Dawkins from behind 6-1 shot MAMMA MIA, MONEY MARKET caused 7-5 favourite UNSPUN to be snatched up by Reyan Lewis, a reaction which triggered the fall of PERFECT BREW's rider, claiming jockey Williams.
The near pile-up allowed MAMMA MIA to run free on the lead ahead of MONEY MARKET, who renewed his challenge coming off the home turn. Though pointing approaching the furlong pole, MONEY MARKET's run flattened in mid-track whereas MAMMA MIA quickened when Innis changed from left to right-handed whipping.
UNSPUN, whose chances went out the window when taken in hand by Lewis, straightened against the rail and tried closing on the sprinters. However, having to chase splits of 47.1 and 59.2 after being hindered, left the middle-distance runner flat-footed and winded in the stretch run.
MAMMA MIA clocked 1:12.2, her second victory at six furlongs in two months after beating overnight-allowance runners at the lower level for the Arthur Jones Memorial on August 16.
The stewards afterwards promoted UNSPUN to second, taking down MONEY MARKET's number, placing the six-year-old out of the race for causing the fall of Williams aboard PERFECT BREW.
Racing continues at Caymanas Park at the weekend, three consecutive days, Saturday to Monday, the Heroes holiday meet, with mandatory payouts in the Ketch 9, Placepot 8 and Strike 4, respectively.
