Supreme Soul gives Anthony Nunes rare 1000, 2000 Guineas double
It was a remarkable moment for trainer Anthony Nunes over the Guineas carnival weekend.
Nunes watched his talented filly, I Am Di One run away with the the 1000 Guineas on Saturday but to put a cap on what was an excellent training feat, Supreme Soul dismantled rivals to win the 2000 Guineas yesterday at Caymanas Park.
Supreme Soul, a chestnut colt by Soul Warrior — Beware Baby seemingly sprouted wings in deep stretch to beat stable companion Toona Ciliata (Robert Halledeen) by a comfortable two lengths in the one-mile (1,600m) event. Sentient (Dane Nelson) was third. It was a one-two finish for Nunes.
Supreme Soul is known to be a run on horse, but jockey Shane Ellis was able to get him out of the starting gates, surging to the lead.
Approaching the six-furlong point, Ellis took Supreme Soul off the pace, allowing Earn Your Stripes (Simon Husbands) to take over and at one-point Supreme Soul was fifth at the half-mile pole.
Run Thatcher Run (Omar Walker) picked up the lead turning for home ahead of Tonna Ciliata, but Ellis produced his mount and Supreme Soul responded for the win.
Supreme Soul came home in a time of 1:38.4 compared with 1:40.1 done by I Am Di One.
It was the third 2000 Guineas winner for Nunes and Ellis. Both had teamed up with Royal Image in 2008, while Nunes saddled Uncle Donny (Brian Harding) in 2012, and Ellis won on Willie Goldsmith a year later.
“So grateful and so blessed. I am very thankful, as you know the team has worked hard, the owners have given me the confidence to train these nice horses. This [winning both Guineas in the same year] does not happen often, and so we will take it because we know the downside of horse racing,” Nunes said.
Only trainer Wayne DaCosta and Gary Subratie have been able to win both Guineas race in the same year.
Ellis, in his post-race interview, said: “It is very good to win Classic races. Supreme Soul is a very good horse and he will be better going two turns.”
The win by Supreme Soul gave Nunes his third winner on the 10-race card. He had a total of seven winners over the weekend.
