NO favourite managed to win any of the three trophy races at Caymanas Park yesterday, thus paving the way for Dane Nelson to highlight the 10-race card with his second consecutive three-timer.

Meanwhile Hera, a 2-1 bet, Ministerofjustice at odds of 13-1, and Nasatal at 5-2 won their respective trophy races by the same margin — a neck.

Hera won the $715,000 Eight Thirty Sprint narrowly in a driving finish after 3-5 favourite Miss Angeline failed to raise a serious gallop in the race that launched the native-bred three-year-old Classic season.

Well supported as the second favourite, Hera had to be ridden for all she was worth by Shane Ellis after taking up the running from early in the race to come out on top in a three-way rush for the wire with 17-1 shot Lady Geetadeo, the mount of Richard Mairs, who finished second and Ochun, a 12-1 chance another neck away third under Jevvanne Erwin.

Trained by Anthony Nunes, Hera ran 1,000 metres straight in 1:02.1 minutes for her narrow win in the maiden special weight contest for native-bred three-year-old fillies. A field of 15 ran after Sheer Bliss was declared a late runner.

Owned by Brian & Colin Murray, Hera, a bay filly by Pat N Jack out of Scatterbrain (Bucksplasher) was bred at Orange Valley Estates Ltd. It was her fourth career start and earned her first winning purse of $390,400 as the winner’s share for increased earnings of $553,050 lifetime.

Nelson, who earlier had wins aboard 1-2 favourite Antioch in the fourth race for trainer Gresford Smith and Alias Mr Cat at 1-9 in the seventh for owner/trainer/breeder Carl Anderson, capped the evening by booting home Ministerofjustice in the penultimate ninth race to win the $786,000 St Catherine Cup over the late charging Coleman’s Rock, a 5-1 bet ridden by Aaron Chatrie.

The Guardian, ridden by champion jockey Omar Walker, finished another neck away third with The Bomber, partnered by Paul Francis, completing the frame as a 4-1 betting option in the nine-horse field for Open Allowance three-year-olds and upward. Ministerofjustice ran 1,100 metres in 1:06.1 minutes.

Nine-year-old Nasatal, who up to last season campaigned among Open Allowance horses, showed some of his old spunk by recovering from a slow start to get up in time to win the first race in the $565,500 CTL Claiming Series of 12 races which formed part of the Track Price Plus “Dig Out” Handicap final event on the programme.

Ridden by Chatrie for trainer Barrington Dawes, Nasatal ran 1,200 metres in 1:15.4 minutes in the 15-horse field for the claiming group $250,000 – $210,000, who have started for a tag of $250,000 or less since October 22 last year.