Last year’s Jamaica Derby winner King Arthur stamped his class on Overnight Allowance horses with a masterful 3¾-length win in the 2021 running of the $1-million World Vet Day Trophy feature at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Owned by Carlton Watson and trained by Jason DaCosta, the four-year-old bay gelding King Arthur ran one mile (1,600m) in a decent 1:39.3 as the firm 1-5 favourite in the three-year-old and upward event, registering his second win from as many starts this season. It was the gelding’s first run at this level.

King Arthur, with Anthony Thomas in the saddle, after settling into second place leaving the intersection at the seven-furlong (1,400m) point, made it look so easy when he gathered momentum and surged to the front at the half-mile and left the rest of the field in his wake.

Entering the lane, King Arthur turned on the pressure and came home ahead of Marquesas (Reyan Lewis), El Profesor (Christopher Mamdeen) and Uncle Frank (Javaniel Patterson) in that order.

It was the second winner on the 10-race programme for both Watson and DaCosta, while Thomas had a three-timer. The trio had earlier teamed up with first-time starter Make Up Artist to win the second race by 18 lengths in a quick 1:05.2 for five-and-a-half fulongs (1,100m).

Thomas’s other winner was Mamacita for trainer Nicholas Smith in the fourth race going four furlongs (800m) straight.

With those winners Thomas pushed his lead over Dane Nelson in the jockey’s championship to three wins. Thomas leads with 35 winners with Nelson on 32. Nelson had one winner in San Siro in the first race for trainer Lawrence Freemantle.

Racing continues next Friday and Saturday.

— Ruddy Allen