No stopping Barnaby in Distinctly Irish Trophy feature

All eyes and attention will be on the $1.75-million Distinctly Irish Trophy feature race this afternoon and, on paper, it is all about one horse — five-year-old bay horse Barnaby. A field of six runners will go to post for the Graded Stakes/Open Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward over 9 furlongs and 25 yards (1,820m), but this is the Anthony Nunes show, with four of the six carrying the barn’s flag. And the leader of that quartet is Barnaby, who will have King Piye, Miss Grove, and Neo Star as company.

Barnaby, he is the class of the race, full stop. On July 25, he ran a cracker to finish third in the $10-million Diamond Mile behind Phenomenal Power and Girvano, stopping the clock in a fast 1:36.3 for a mile (1,600m). He was staying on at the end that day, suggesting this extended two-turn trip will be right up his alley.

Rewind to April 26, and he won over this exact distance — 9 furlongs and 25 yards — in a decent 1:54.2, coming from off the pace to put away the field by 6 lengths. Barnaby is coming in fresh, 63 days rest since the Diamond Mile and Nunes has freshened him up beautifully, and the reports from the exercise track in the mornings are glowing. He has been training well, moving with purpose, and looking every inch a graded stakes horse.

He will get the perfect set-up too. Stablemates Miss Grove and Neo Star will ensure there is no loafing up front, and when Raddesh Roman asks him at the top of the lane to go, he is expected to put these away easily. The contest is positioned as the seventh event on the 10-race card with a post time of 3:45 pm.

Don Kwesi, from the barn of Barrington Bernard looks the only danger to Barnaby. He was the disqualified winner last time when beating Sensational Soul and Run Julie Run on August 22. He has been training well, and the distance is not any issue for this son of Sensational Slam.

If Barnaby stubs his toe, Don Kwesi is the one who will capitalise. He should give the favourite most to do here. Run Julie Run, one of the most consistent runners in the line-up, should also have a say here.