KINGSTON, Jamaica - Following Fantastic Feeling’s maiden victory on Saturday (June 27), champion trainer Anthony Nunes says that his chestnut filly struggles with issues that she needs to overcome before she can show her true potential.
With Shane Ellis in the saddle, Fantastic Feeling (Sensational Slam – Bubbling Angeline) won a maiden condition race over 6 furlongs (1,200m) by three-parts-of-a-length in a time of 1:15.1.
“She [Fantastic Feeling] has issues; she has been struggling; she does not have major problems, but she has niggling issues making it difficult to train her like how we usually train other horses.
“She started getting tired at the end of the race, and that is fitness level, so let’s hope that she comes out of it [race] sound, and then we start to step up her training.
“It is a maiden race; she broke nicely, and she was in a nice position and Shane when he asked her at the top of the straight she kicked. Then she got tired in the last half-furlong, which again is fitness, so we have to hope that she is good enough and moving forward, we can start to train her to fulfill that potential she has as she is nicely bred,” Nunes offered.
It was an even break for most of the runners, but Fantastic Feeling used her speed and assumed control of the race early. She held the lead over Dorthebutcher (Dane Dawkins), Sheboom (Robert Halledeen), and Cold Pursuit (Phillip Parchment) approaching the five-furlong marker.
After getting rid of Shepanza (Bebeto Harvey) navigating the half-mile turn, Fantastic Feeling was then immediately challenged by Big Big Daddy (Anthony Thomas) coming into the lane.
With a show of grit and determination, Fantastic Feeling kicked clear of her challenger but then had to withstand a late surge from Cold Pursuit to get home on top. Big Big Daddy finished in third place.
