Former three-time champion conditioner Anthony “Baba” Nunes attributed Captain Sparrow’s victory in the Natalie Berger Trophy on Saturday, July 19, 2025 to a change in running style of his charge.

By deviating from his typical late-kick approach, Captain Sparrow was able to sit up front in a comfortable pace early on, took control at the top of lane and hold off Brenda Boy to secure the win by a long neck at the wire.

The contest was a Restricted Allowance race for native-bred four-year-olds and upward — non-winners of four) and imported four-year-old and upward (non-winners of three) over one mile (1,600m). Captain Sparrow won in a time of 1:42.3.

Nunes was overjoyed with Captain Sparrow’s victory, explaining that the team had to adapt their strategy due to the competition.

“His running style was different. The jockey warmed him up extensively and he broke well at the start of the race. Captain Sparrow was in the pace, but I think when he’s like that, he doesn’t have a bigger kick in the finish,” Nunes told the
Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

“We had to ride him like that today. There was Mack and Rome who had a lot of controlling speed, and so we couldn’t be tailed off and try to get him late. So, we changed up his running style, and we got lucky and got home. It was a great ride by Raddesh [Roman],” Nunes added.

Nunes also highlighted the challenge of finding suitable races for Captain Sparrow.

“The truth is, Captain Sparrow really needs races in excess of eight furlongs and we don’t have a lot of them on the programme but we take it as it comes.

Roman guided Captain Sparrow out of the starting gates well, quickly assuming the lead with ease. The four-year-old bay colt led ahead of Mack and Rome (Nicardo Carr), Titan Tempo (Reyan Lewis), and Battle Angel (Anthony Allen) in the early exchanges. As they approached the 6-furlong (1,200m) mark, Roman wisely held Captain Sparrow back, allowing Mack and Rome to take over the lead.

Roman and Captain Sparrow bided their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Approaching the distance, Roman asked
Captain Sparrow to run, and the colt responded by taking over proceedings at the top of the lane. Captain Sparrow’s powerful surge left the competition in his wake, and he looked all over an easy winner in deep stretch.

Despite a late challenge from Brenda Boy (Robert Halledeen), Captain Sparrow had already built a significant lead and held on for the win, showcasing his class and determination. Mack and Rome finished third.