UNCLE Donny, who has not won since capturing the 2,000 Guineas last year April, turned up in spanking winning shape to claim victory in the $715,000 Calvin O’Sullivan Memorial Cup at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Trained by Anthony Nunes for owners and breeders Oakridge Farms, Uncle Donny, the 3-2 favourite, ran 1,820 metres in a time of 1:57.2 minutes to beat the 9-2 shot Jet Setter by 2 1/2 lengths.

It was the first time Uncle Donny was winning over the distance he had twice tried before.

Former champion jockey Shane Ellis, who piloted Uncle Donny to victory on the eve of the 2013 Classic season, said: “I was very confident going into the race. Since his first run as a four-year-old in early March he has been working very well and coming into this race I knew that I was going to win this race. When saying so he is a bit of a tricky horse to ride, so the trainer sat me down and outlined to me that I should ride him the way I did on last by biding my time, wait and then come at them at the 400-metre pole.”

Uncle Donny was held just off the pace and was never worst then fifth, as the imported There Goes Justin, ridden by Orlando Foster, carried the field along, while Jet Setter and Miss Boss Lady, the stablemate of the leader and ridden by Omar Walker, jostled for second and third.

However, after leaving the 1,000-metre pole, claiming apprentice Renardo McNaughton let Jet Setter have his reigns. Jet Setter then gobbled up There Goes Justin, who was fading badly approaching the home turn before taking the lead to enter the straight ahead of the field. At this point Jet Setter seemed not to be laying out for a winning stretch run and when Ellis set Uncle Donny alight from just below the distance, running flawlessly along the running rails, Jet Setter and the young apprentice had no answer and had to be contented with second.

Trainer Nunes was pleased with the performance: “He had some bleeding issues…the truth is he won the 2,000 Guineas therefore a three-year-old he ended up in Open Allowance and had to run against some tough imported horses and he has not won since and has stepped down to Overnight Allowance and this victory is a nice stepping stone,” Nunes observed.

Cold Ground, ridden by Prince Holder, came from far back to show as a 69-1 bet three lengths back, while the 9-2 chance Hombre completed the frame under Andre Martin in the field of nine.

Uncle Donny, a four-year-old grey colt by Dayton Flyer out of Pretty Hilly (Royal Minister) bred by Donald Webly, was winning his fourth race from 15 career starts and earned $390,400 as the winner’s share for earnings of $5,119,200 lifetime.