By V. Lloyd Simpson, Contributor
Parish
WITH only four racedays to go to the end of the calendar, the possibility of a duel between Charles Hussey and Ramon Parish for championship honours seems to be coming into fore as the topic of the moment in horseracing circles.
The subject-matter has taken on intensity throughout the community of turfites because Ramon Parish has seemingly awaken from his slumber with a new mindset to have a go at the three-time champion and leader.
On Saturday last the drama intensified with Hussey increasing his tally to 79 winners by means of his victory aboard Ganador, while Parish took action to move up his score to 76, a slim margin of three behind, by bringing home Bombs Over Baghdad and First Trick.
The outcome of the day says a great deal about the less than acceptable 'strike-rate' of the young aspirant. He had a generous count of rides aboard Bombs Over Baghdad (7-2), Awesome Gain (5-2), First Trick (1-1), Circle De Throne (8-1), Crime Of Passion (22-1) and Bloor And Bay (54-1), six in all, in that order, and with Awesome Gain knocking at the door, he could have come up with a 50% 'strike-rate'. And even so, luck was clearly on his side when Black Thatch was disqualified and the race awarded to Bombs Over Baghdad.
This sort of ineffectiveness is bound to have been long since spotted by the observant Hussey.
Hussey, despite all the concern about the small number of his rides on racedays, has a wealth of factors going for him and at December 31 he will have been home and dried before the rest of the train comes into view.
In my article titled 'Its Hussey For Me' published in this newspaper's edition of October 2, 2001, I said the following. "So after having said all the above, the narrow margins included, who is likely to prevail? A formula which I have developed tells me the answer. Applying that formula, Hussey will end up with 86 wins and Parish 81 wins."
The formula is gradually proving to be considerably prophetic.
