Of A Revolution out of class for Gerry Skelton Memorial

OF A REVOLUTION, the American who made a spectacular local debut last Mouttet Mile Day, December 6, winning the Grade 1 Bruceontheloose Sprint, to which he added the SVREL Anniversary Stakes in March, also a Grade 1, has found a conditions loophole to face overnight-allowance runners in Saturday’s Gerry Skelton Memorial at five furlongs straight.

Embedded somewhere in the conditions book, after winning his second Grade 1 event in three months, March 7, a clause allowed OF A REVOLUTION to return off a three-month lay-up, carrying topweight 126lb against open-allowance runners in the Viceroy Trophy, labelled as a Grade1/Open Allowance.

Cut down by fellow American and stablemate SIR DON in the Viceroy at five and a half furlongs, OF A REVOLUTION finished down the track in July’s Grade 1 Diamond Mile after which he ran a creditable fourth, less than a month ago, August 15, behind speedsters PACK PLAYS, DOTHRAKI and CALIFORNIA CROWN in the None Such Sprint at six furlongs.

How the seven-year-old qualifies to race two classes lower is beyond reason, confounded by COMMANDER Z, who has only won a single overnight-allowance race, carrying 120lb, a mere six pounds lighter than the almost three-time Grade 1 winner.

Trainer Anthony Nunes is confident. A fact highlighted by the fact Reyan Lewis is back aboard even though the trainer could have recalled claiming rider Eric Haughton to ease the burden of 126lb.

Nunes’ confidence in the class ease is obvious and should be followed by bettors, who should also note that in OF A REVOLUTION’s only attempt at the straight course, he lost by a length and a half in a fast 57.2 behind MONEY MARKET and MIGHTY GULLY after being bumped at the start.

Jason DaCosta’s pair of FORMALIST and PEPPER STEPPER are both speedy but drawn at post-positions two and three, respectively, whereas OF A REVOLUTION breaks from gate five from where he should be able to hold his ground in mid-track, possibly drifting to faster ground on the stands’ side to match DaCosta’s MISS MONEYPENNY.