TOURING WITH RHEA, running for the first time as a three-year-old, made light work of a good field of age-group runners to win the $715,000 Mercury Sprint feature at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Neglected in the betting in the maiden special weight contest for native-bred three-year-old colts and geldings and sent off as a 7-1 betting option, the brash-looking colt ran 1,000m straight in 1:00.3 to win by 2 1/2 lengths and open his winning account the fourth time of asking.

Trained by Ryan Darby, who is also the owner, Touring With Rhea broke sharply and held a prominent position in mid-track until the later stages of the run when he headed to the stand side for firmer underfoot running to meet up with Rainbow Man, who along with Sunshine Boy and Safe Passage on the inside, were sharing the headlines.

With firm underfoot condition now realised, leading jockey Dane Nelson then asked Touring With Rhea for his final effort and came away quite easily for the victory.

Rainbow Man, also neglected in the betting as a 10-1 chance, ridden by Shane Ellis, broke winging but seemed to lose some ground after going a bit wide at the off.

He was, however, taken in hand by the former champion jockey and although some amount of early damage was done to his chances and he had to play catch-up, came forward gallantly to grab second on the line from the 4-5 favourite Sunshine Boy, ridden by Ameth Robles.

While the 7-5 chance Safe Landing, the mount of champion jockey Dick Cardenas, disappeared from contention in the later stages, the 8-1 bet Jarreau, ridden by Winston Griffiths, held his gallop to complete the frame in the field of nine.

A dark bay colt by Dayton Flyer out of Miss Polly (Law Of The Sea) and bred by Lorenzo Robinson, Touring With Rhea earned $390,400 as the winner’s share for earnings of $501,050 lifetime.