The running of the $768,000 Eight Thirty Sprint last Saturday at Caymanas Park signalled the official start of the 2016 native-bred three-year-old Classic season.

The maiden special weight for fillies only, run over the five-furlong straight course, was divided into two sections with contrasting victories going to first-time starter Dancing Queen and Poison Gas, who was making her second appearance on the racetrack.

With veteran jockey Ian ‘Dolly Baby’ Spence riding for 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny, Dancing Queen was off to a slow start and was held in mid-pack for most of the way behind the speedy Zandrina (Andre Martin) and Pinelope, ridden by champion jockey Shane Ellis.

When asked to go by Spence entering the last half-furlong, the Ham Stables-bred and owned Dancing Queen responded well from left-hand whipping and got up in the nick of time to beat Zandrina, who looked the likely winner in the last 50 metres. Dancing Queen won by a neck in a driving finish to open her racing account.

Pinelope was another one-and-a-quarter lengths adrift in third ahead of Vera Cruz, the mount of visiting Chavion Chow, in the 10-horse field in Division One.

Dancing Queen, a bay filly by Sorrentino – Honeymoon Bay by Prospect Bay, covered the distance in 1:00:2 minutes behind splits of 23:0 and 46:1 seconds.

“It was a great performance by Dancing Queen as it was her first outing and she ran well to get home in time. It wasn’t the best start, but I kept her well relaxed and in touch with the leaders coming into the last part of the race. When I asked her for her effort she just responded well and got the job done. She is a nice filly with more room for improvement, and I think that she will develop into a good racehorse,” Spence said.

In Division Two, the Phillip Elliott-conditioned Poison Gas ( Nuclear Wayne – Princess Lulu by Natural Selection), with four-time champion jockey Omar Walker in the saddle, easily got the job done.

At the off, Poison Gas shot into an early lead and stayed with her 11 other rivals for the first two furlongs before taking control passing the dummy rails.

Authentic (Chavion Chow) ran well to finish second ahead of Zephyr (Kuri Powell) in third and Dutchess Uriel, under Robert Halledeen, in fourth.

Bred by Hewan Elliott and owned by Norris Phinn, Poison Gas stopped the clock in a decent 0:59:0 seconds after setting splits of 22:3 and 45:3 seconds.

“ Poison Gas is a very good horse and I saved her especially for this race as I won this same race last year with Mama Neita and wanted to take the double.

“This race was an easy run for greater things to come, as her next run will be in the Hotline Stakes and heading towards the 1000 Guineas. We are aiming for a Classic win this year,” Elliott told The Complete Racing Guide.

Walker said that he was pleased with Poison Gas’s effort.

“The race wasn’t all that difficult as it was an easy run for her. She has good speed and the plan was to put her in front and let her run her run and that was that,” Walker said.