Anthony “Baba” Nunes’ highly anticipated prospect, Barnaby, made a resounding statement ahead of next month’s US$250,000 Mouttet Mile with a jaw-dropping 17-length victory in Sunday’s $1.25-million Alsafra Trophy.

Under Omar Walker’s guidance, Barnaby rallied from a mid-pack start to seize the lead at the half-mile turn, unleashing a blistering pace that left rivals in his wake.

Barnaby stopped the clock in an impressive 1:31.0 (23.3 x 46.4 x 1:12.0 x 1:24.3) in the Overnight Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward over seven-and-a-half furlongs (1,500m).

Barnaby’s blistering performance fell just shy of the track record (1:29.2) set by
Sky Train in 1983. Money Monster (Richard Henry) and Mr Senator (Romario Spencer) trailed in second and third place, respectively.

With this convincing win, Barnaby has cemented his status as a top contender for the Mouttet Mile, sending a clear warning to rivals.

Nunes expressed cautious optimism following Barnaby’s impressive debut victory, emphasising that the real test lies ahead in the Mouttet Mile.

“It was a nice debut by Barnaby. But we have to be honest with ourselves, this was an Overnight allowance race and we didn’t bring Barnaby here for this; we brought him for the Mouttet Mile,” Nunes told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

“He is going to have to run against much better horses than he ran against today but this is a good starting point. Against real competition, let’s hope that he can step up and perform just like them,” Nunes added.

Despite the easy win, Nunes acknowledged Barnaby’s talent and intelligence.

“He is clearly a talented horse. He has shown that from he has been here, as, in the mornings he works very well and he does everything we ask.

“He got a little nervous in the saddling barn but what I found with him is that he gets nervous with new experiences, but relaxes once he’s familiar. Barnaby is very intelligent.

“Once he learns something, it is smooth sailing from here,” Nunes said.

The trainer revealed that he intentionally avoided fast workouts out of the gates to avoid revving up Barnaby.

“He didn’t break bad in the race. He broke alright. The truth is, I took him to the starting gates but I really never gave him a fast workout of the gates. He ran six times before, and I didn’t want to rev him up in the mornings for this race,” Nunes stated.

Nunes’ primary focus remains on keeping Barnaby healthy and sound for the Mouttet Mile in three weeks.

“He will learn from this as well and the single most important thing is that we stay healthy and sound and have an opportunity in three weeks’ time,” Nunes further said.