On to the St Leger goes Toona Ciliata
Toona Ciliata’s next engagement is the last Classic of the season, the 10-furlong Jamaica St Leger which is scheduled for competition on Saturday, July 27.
Confirmation came from the gelding’s conditioner Anthony Nunes after a timely comeback victory on Saturday last (July 6) especially after two sub-par runs following his second place finish behind stablemate Supreme Soul in the 2000 Guineas (April 14).
“Pleased, very pleased with the run by Toona Ciliata and if all remains well, his next effort is more than likely going to be in the St Leger,” Nunes offered.
Racing in a Restricted Stakes (imported three-year-olds and upwards NW-3 and maiden/NB three-year-olds and four-year-olds NW 4) run over a mile, Toona Ciliata gave an impressive performance to win in a time of 1:39.1.
In doing so, Toona Ciliata showed that he was in fine racing shape at present.
Trainer Nunes then recounted the reasons for Toona Ciliata’s below-par efforts.
“He ran well in the Guineas. Then we ran him in a prep race for the Governor’s Cup and he ran poorly. Following that prep race, we discovered that he ( Toona Ciliata) had picked up a virus infection.
“We set about giving him time off to recover from his affliction but during this time, he lost weight and after that, we were trying to get him ready in time for the Derby, but the Derby distance is quite taxing and requires a good deal of preparation.
“ Toona Ciliata just could not make it back in time and for the Derby, so we entered him in a six-furlong sprint on Derby Day knowing fully well that six furlongs is not his cup of tea.
“Nonetheless, I thought that he was doing some good work at the end of the six furlongs dash where he was trying to come home against some good sprinters and thought that today’s (Saturday’s) extended sprint race was the perfect race for him to be placed in,” Nunes shared with this publication.
Toona Ciliata (Linton Steadman) won by a neck over She’s An Introvert (Christopher Mamdeen). Summer Sun (Phillip Parchment) finished third.