The stage was set for a thrilling conclusion to the trainers’ championship at Caymanas Park on Saturday, December 6, 2025, but Anthony “Baba” Nunes’ hopes of securing a fourth trainers’ title were dashed when his contender Nautical Star faltered in the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile.

Nunes, trailing Jason DaCosta by just over $14.5 million in earnings before the Mouttet Mile race day, had pinned his hopes on a strong showing from two recent importees — Of A Revolution in the US$100,000 Bruceontheloose Sprint and Nautical Star in the prestigious Mouttet Mile itself.

Victory in both races would have secured Nunes a fourth trainers’ title. Even a win in the Mouttet Mile alone, with its lucrative $24.9-million first-place purse, could have been enough, but it was not to be.

“It was always a pipe dream, if we’re being honest,” Nunes said, reflecting on his championship hopes.

“We said at the beginning of the year that 2026 was where we were really aiming for, and it turned out that the massive purse money of the Mouttet Mile gave us the opportunity. If we had won that race, it would most certainly have put us right there, but it really wasn’t something we had on our radar. If it happened, it would have been fantastic, congratulations to Jason [DaCosta] as truth of the matter, he had a wonderful year,” Nunes told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

Nautical Star, touted as a strong contender in the Mouttet Mile, failed to materialise, and Nunes was left to ponder what might have been.

“The sprinter, Of A Revolution, ran his race, Nautical Star just didn’t,” he said.

“We did a whole heap of tests afterwards — we did blood tests, we swabbed him, we scoped him, we did everything — he just ran flat. The only thing I can put it down to is that maybe if he had arrived in Jamaica earlier, we would have had some more time to put some base work into him, but I strongly believe that talent is still there and I think he will show that in 2026.

“Both horses are going to stay here for 2026 and we will give it another shot. I also have
Barnaby who is back in full training and hopefully he won’t be unlucky as he was this year. I hope all the horses are happy and healthy and have a really good Mouttet Mile next year,” Nunes expressed.

Despite the disappointment, Nunes remains optimistic about the future, also citing the quality of his two-year-olds

“The two-year-olds we have run this year have shown that they are of high quality. We have some others who haven’t raced yet, who I think will come out and prove that they are really nice horses. Once they stay healthy and sound, I think we will be pretty good,” he said.

Nunes is now setting his sights on 2026, determined to make a stronger bid for the championship.

“We are $9 million behind with four race days to go and there’s certainly no more race of that calibre that we can do but that’s fine. We are very happy with our season; I think we are one year early than we anticipated and so I am very grateful for that,” Nunes said.

Nunes conceded that DaCosta had a wonderful year, and that the defending champion was deserving of the title.

“It would have been disappointing if one race really decided the trainers’ championship. It is something that we may have to look into in the future. He really had a great year and for someone to come along and win one race and be able to take home the championship, it is borderline, I think, a little unfair.

“It happened to me in 2018 when Wayne DaCosta won the Diamond Mile which at time was a US$100,000 and that also helped him to propel past me and so it is something that we must look at with these big money races that one race doesn’t define 12 months,” Nunes said.

Of a Revolution (Raddesh Roman) storms to victory in the US$100,000 ($15-million) Bruceontheloose Trophy on Saturday, December 6, 2025. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)