AS expected, the $1.02-million Mr Lover Lover Trophy, the highlight event on Sunday’s nine-race card, turned out to be an easy romp as 1-9 favourite Huntsman stormed away imperiously from competitors to take the nine-furlong, 25-yard (1,820m) affair in encouraging fashion at Caymanas Park.

Huntsman, who was making his third career start, controlled the race from start to finish, winning the Restricted Allowance II contest for native-bred three-year-olds (non-winners of two) and imported three-year-olds and upward (maidens) by a commanding 16 lengths without breaking a sweat, in a time of 1:58.2 (27.3 x 53.1 x 1:17.2 x 1:43.2).

Huntsman got off to a good start, with jockey Reyan Lewis keeping the Ian Parsard trainee slightly outside of Burlap (Dane Dawkins) through the clubhouse turn before taking control of the race entering the main track.

Huntsman maintained his steady run ahead of the field down the backstretch, and as he approached the half-mile (800m) turn he continued to open up on the field, the writing already on the wall at that point during the race as Huntsman appeared to be a lonely winner.

Turning for home with a commanding lead and a couple of cracks from Lewis’s whip to remind him that the race wasn’t over, Huntsman began to accelerate and surge home to win by a city block at the wire. Burlap held his gallop well to finish in second place, with From Sheer To Ben (Anthony Thomas) getting third place.

Huntsman, a three-year-old chestnut colt by Key To Power out of the Sweetsouthernsaint mare Dream Point, is bred by Karen Parsard, who is part-owner along with Henry Pratt and Alexander Cools-Larti.

It was the second winner on the day for Lewis as he also won aboard Inspire Force for trainer Philip Feanny in the seventh race.

Also with two winners on the day were former three-time champion jockey Anthony Thomas and current champion jockey Dane Dawkins. Thomas was successful aboard Aava Jaelyn in the sixth race for trainer Donovan Thompson, and aboard Mrs Lyndhurst for trainer Steven Todd in the eighth race.

Dawkins won aboard Casual Peach for trainer Barrington Bernard in the fourth race and aboard Get A Pepsi for trainer Errol Burke in the ninth and final event.

Racing continues at the weekend, with races on Saturday and Sunday.