Veteran jockey Ian ‘Dolly Baby’ Spence, the winning rider of Buzz Nightmare, says the Philip Feanny-trained bay colt is in tip-top shape following a good run last Saturday, his first after a four-and-a-half-month absence from competitive racing.

After he bled and finished 11 ½ lengths behind Poker Star and Campesino in a 1,100-metre event in January, Buzz Nightmare returned down-in-class and easily put away rivals in the G A ‘Sarge’ Memorial Cup feature over 1,000 metres straight.

“He ( Buzz Nightmare) is good, he is fine and he came out of this race in great shape. As a matter of fact, he really surprised me a lot, as when we were coming back to the winner’s enclosure, I could feel the powerful strength he had pulling me as if it was just like any other exercise morning period,” Spence said.

Breaking from pole position nine in the Overnight Allowance event, Buzz Nightmare ( Into Mischief – Queen Of Battle) got a good break but had to settle in second position behind the improving speedster Royal Assault (Shane Ellis) until passing the dummy rails when he challenged for the lead.

With Spence using hands alone, Buzz Nightmare then assumed the lead at the furlong pole and with just five cracks from the whip he powered home to win by five lengths ahead of Royal Assault, Hologram Shadow and Golden Bullet.

The winning time was a smooth 0:57:1 seconds behind splits of 22:2 and 44:1 seconds.

“He is a very nice and talented horse who is going places. The race wasn’t that difficult as he is better than this level. We got a good break and he wanted to go so, I just took him back a little and kept him well relaxed. When I asked him to run the last furlong and a half he just did what he knows and that is to cross the wire in front,” Spence said.