Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
BINGO INFERNO, ridden by in-form apprentice Kenyatta Davis, produced a late kick in the closing stages to beat FULLYLOADED by half a length in the straight five feature for the Grooms' Association Trophy at Caymanas Park.
Installed an even-money favourite in the field of seven, the sparingly raced 3-y-o gelding from the stables of eight-time champion trainer Kenneth Mattis, did everything wrong during the race but still won.
BINGO INFERNO swerved out to the right on leaving the starting gate and gradually angled towards the stands' side, as fleet-footed 6-1 shot FULLYLOADED (Joe Buchanan up) led at a fast clip from the grey HAWK DEH NEAR and INCISAL EDGE.
As they galloped out of the chute on the main track, however, 'BINGO' began to find his best stride, but in the process came down off a true line to the middle of the track and like a giraffe, ran with his head in the air as well.
With FULLYLOADED having established a clear lead passing the furlong pole, BINGO INFERNO had to dig deep into his reserves to snatch the race out of the fire. Finding a second wind, he ran on strongly under pressure in the final 100 metres to overhaul FULLYLOADED close home, with 25-1 outsider INCISAL EDGE staying on to finish a close up third, just over a length away.
Owned by Rex Royale, BINGO INFERNO who is by the crack sprinter Distinctive Bingo out of Rajindeer, notched his third win from six starts this season and completed a double for trainer and jockey on the Grooms' Association Day 10-race programme.
Mattis had earlier posted the 2-1 shot ECONOMIC REALITY to win the sixth race for maiden three-year-olds, while Davis won the fifth aboard another 2-1 chance LADY BIRD, trained by Kevin Mattis, a son of Kenneth Mattis.
Meanwhile, champion jockey Andrew Ramgeet notched his 1100th win locally, this aboard the US-bred debutant COMING WEST at 2-5 in the opening race, before moving to 1101 aboard another 2-5 favourite NUCLEAR POWER in the seventh.
Ramgeet's latest milestone comes just less than a year after the three-time champion notched his 1000th career win at Caymanas Park aboard LEGAL DECISION on November 20, 1999, the same race in which jockey Al Gopie died in a tragic fall from SAGAR at the half mile.
Ramgeet thus pushed his season's tally to 94 - six clear of arch rival Shane Ellis who was winless yesterday. The divided CTL Grooms' Riders Race over 800 metres straight saw 2-1 chance RUNNING WILD (M. McLean up) and 4-5 favourite BULLET (Paul Lamonth) win their respective divisions.
Meanwhile, top American jockey Jerry Bailey highlighed yesterday's Breeders' Cup meet at Churchill Downs, Kentucky, with back to back winners in highly fancied PERFECT STING and the outsider MACHO UNO.
PERFECT STING won the Breeders' Cup Fillies and Mares over 2200 metres, and MACHO UNO the Breeders Cup Juvenile, both for trainer Joseph Orseno. The two biggest races, the Breeders Cup Classic over 2000 metres and the Breeders Cup Turf over 2400 metres, went to TIZNOW (Chis McCarron) and the well backed KALANSKI (Johnny Murtagh) respectively.
