75-1 BOMBSHELL!
… Lockdown shocks Caymanas Park in Nigel B Nunes Cup stunner
FORM went completely out the window at Caymanas Park on Saturday, October 10, 2026 as 75-1 outsider Lockdown produced one of the biggest upsets of the racing season, storming from behind to snatch the $1.25-million Nigel B Nunes Memorial Cup feature in a heart-stopping finish.
In a 16-horse cavalry charge over the five-furlongs (1,000m) straight Overnight Allowance, the four-year-old chestnut colt, who was completely neglected in the betting, made a mockery of his odds to win by a head on the wire.
Trained by Ryan Darby and brilliantly ridden by Paul “Country” Francis, Lockdown, drawn at the coveted post one, gave his backers — the few brave enough — a moment they will never forget.
While many expected the speedsters to dominate, the early pace was furious. Starraura with Clive Lynch aboard, Robert Halledeen on
Formalist, Tajay Suckoo aboard Danka, and Emelio McLean on Miss MoneyPenny all vied for supremacy, setting a blistering early tempo.
They went hammer and tongs down the centre of the track while Lockdown was doing it the hard way. Francis had him settled along the inside rails, well off the early pace, biding his time as the big names kicked up dust in front of him.
To the naked eye, with a furlong to go and a wall of horses ahead of him, it looked all over. But this is why they run the race. Inside the final furlongs (200m), when others were crying enough, Francis asked Lockdown for everything.
He switched, he surged, he found an extra gear that no one knew he had. The chestnut colt ate up the ground with every stride, weaving through tired runners.
On the outside, another monster long shot was flying. Johncrowjeff (28-1), under Jaheim Anderson, launched a powerful late run, while Get A Pepsi (13-1) with Shaheem Gordon also threw down a strong challenge.
Three long shots, three different parts of the track, one unforgettable finish. At the wire, Lockdown got up by a head to deny Johncrowjeff in second, with Get A Pepsi third.
The favourite players were left tearing up their tickets. The final time of 1:00.1 (23.3 x 47.0) tells only part of the story. This was a triumph of patience, timing, and belief from Darby and Francis, who never lost faith in their colt, even when the market said 75-1.
