BARNABY, seventh-place finisher in the 2024 Mouttet Mile, who humbled two-time Horse-of-the-Year ATOMICA in back-to-back races last season, clocking a stakes record 1:43.4 in the Ian Levy at eight and a half furlongs, returns unbeatable off a near six-month break, down two classes for Sunday’s ‘Lindy’ Delapenha Memorial.
Answering the obvious question with two bullet gallops out the mile chute, five furlongs in 1:00.1 and six in 1:13.0, BARNABY, who finished fourth behind GIRVANO, FUNCAANDUN and BLUE VINYL when last raced in August’s Distinctly Irish, appears as sound as a bell at exercise.
Raddesh Roman has the press-button ride aboard the five-year-old son of Tapiture, who won by 14 lengths when debuting locally at seven and a half furlongs in November 2024, three weeks before the Mouttet Mile won by FUNCAANDUN, defeating LEGACY ISLE by a neck.
Outsped by 2024 Jamaica Derby runner-up RUN JULIE RUN in the seven-furlong Miracle Man Cup on New Year’s Day, 2025, BARNABY got additional real estate for his next two starts, chewing up ground on both occasions to overhaul ATOMICA in February’s Chairman’s Trophy and the Ian Levy Cup in April.
BARNABY disappeared for almost five months, resurfacing in August’s Distinctly Irish at nine furlongs and 25 yards, but ran flat for fourth, sharing topweight 126lb with FUNCAANDUN, who was stunned by lightweight stablemate GIRVANO carrying 106lb.
Granted a class-relief two rungs down the ladder by the condition book, BARNABY, as the railbirds are wont to say, must be the surest thing to have peeped through a bridle so far this season.
