Nunes wins Barbados Oaks

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

The four-year-old filly Border Secret, trained by Jamaican Andrew Nunes, captured the Sir Michael Stoute Barbados Oaks last Saturday afternoon for the second year in a row.

Champion jockey-designate Andy Trotman steered the filly to a one-length victory in the BAR$47,850 (US$23,925) event for owners Sir Charles and Lady Williams. Border Secret clocked two minutes 13.00 seconds for the 2000-metre trip. Walk On By was second and Top Lady, another Nunes entry, finished third.

Trotman had positioned Border Secret behind the front-running entries Hawayan Tropic and Aquarius Star for the first half of the long event.

Border Secret then tackled the leaders and as the field moved inside the last three furlongs, Walk On By pursued Border Secret and the pair surged ahead for a two-horse battle down the home stretch.

Border Secret, fourth in last year's United Insurance Barbados Derby, was stronger and logged a fine repeat win.

Last year, Border Secret, also with Trotman up, had scored an upset win in the event - at odds of 11-1 - over Triple Crown winner Zouk.

Young racers Fresh Milk and Eastern Peace scored solid wins in the co-feature Diamonds International BAR$20,000 (US$10,000) events for two-year-olds.

Ridden by former champion jockey Paul Leacock, Fresh Milk captured the Diamonds International Youth Female Challenge Stakes and Trophy for owner Boston John and owners Sunset Farms.

Top jockey Ward pushed Eastern Peace to victory in the Diamonds International Youth Male Challenge Stakes and Trophy for trainer William Clarke and owner Lord Michael Taylor.

Eastern Peace posted a winning time of 1:08.4 for the 1100-metre run.

On the trainers' wins list, Clarke tops the field - with one race-day (Boxing Day) remaining in the year - at 28 wins, four ahead of Nunes (25), followed by Deane (24).