In preparation for the season’s first Classic the 2,000 Guineas, Fearless Samurai returned against older horses in a Restricted Stakes event at Caymanas Park last Saturday.

However, racing fans and connections, who wanted to see how far the

Fearless Vision – Sayuri offspring had improved, were left disappointed after the chestnut colt’s surprising third place finish as the 1-9 favourite in the 1,600-metre event.

After acting up in the starting gates,

Fearless Samurai, ridden by Omar Walker, didn’t show his usual speed and had to watch proceedings from some six lengths in fourth position as stable companionBig Mistake (Andre Powell) led the small field ahead of the chasingGato Dorado (Robert Halledeen) andBird Catcher, the mount of Odeen Edwards.

At the half-mile, in tandem with

Bird Catcher,Fearless Samurai drew alongsideGato Dorado, who had by then dispatchedBig Mistake.

In deep stretch

Bird Catcher kicked away fromFearless Samurai, who had no answer to the calling from Walker and who began to show some signs of distress by swerving in the straight, eventually giving up second spot to stable companionQueen Of Bagdad under Oneil Scott, in the final half-furlong.Bird Catcher went on to win by two-and-and-half lengths in 1:40.3.

Fearless Samurai’s trainer, Wayne DaCosta said that he was upset with how the gate handlers managed his charge after the incident in the starting gates.

“Once again, I have endured another situation where my horse reared up in the starting gates and almost turned over and he wasn’t even taken out of the starting gates and checked to see if he was OK,” the disappointed DaCosta said.

He continued: “Everybody is disappointed, the public lost their money and nothing is happening. This is about the fourth time I have saddled a horse that has injured himself in the starting gates and nothing was done. The jockey said that when he was coming around,

Fearless Samurai felt sore. We won’t know how badly he has been injured until he cools off himself and we will take a closer look at him.”