- Dennis CokeThe Richard Azan-trained NEFTENGA, with Trevvor Simpson, wins the Starter Handicap I & II event over 1300 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Ainsley Walters, Sport Reporter
FIT six-year-old mare CHECK ME OUT won her second race in four days yesterday, landing the 1200-metre Colin Melhado Memorial feature at Caymanas Park for new trainer Robert Darby Jnr. but was immediately snatched out of the claiming event by Richie Todd, last year's winningest trainer.
A winner New Year's Day on a $180,000 claiming tag, CHECK ME OUT returned yesterday down in class at $145,000 with in-form jockey Clive Lynch to beat YOUNG SUMMER by two-and-three-quarter length.
Sent off at even-money in the seven-horse field, the fit mare disputed the lead between horses down the backstretch, battling SEEINGISBELIEVING and INCISAL EDGE running along the rail.
After three furlongs, Lynch asked CHECK ME OUT to quicken away. She turned for home a clear leader and coasted in an easy winner ahead of 8-1 chance YOUNG SUMMER, running on best of the rest along the rail.
MEADOW STAR ran on for third at whopping odds of 99-1, relegating INCISAL EDGE to fourth.
Highly-fancied CRUISE CONTROL, backed down to 2-1, broke down badly a furlong-and-a-half out and was hauled up by Kenyatta Davis.
Later in the afternoon, Richard Azan's NEFTENGA closed strongly in the stretch run to post a two-and-a-half length win in a 1300-metre Starter Handicap event for the 11th race.
The seven-year-old gelding raced just off the pace down the backstretch under Trevor Simpson before pouncing on longtime leader BLOOR AND BAY and chasing DIXIE FLYER at the home turn.
Whipped up by Simpson, NEFTENGA reeled in BLOOR AND BAY with a furlong-and-a-half left to run and sprinted off for a cofortable enough win.
Barbadian rider Simon Husbands, wintering in Jamaica on break from Woodbine Racetrack in Canada, was the day's leading jockey with two winners on the 12-race card. He booted home GO ON GO ON for trainer Ralph Porter in the 1000-metre straight fourth race before producing Michael Mattis' MR. METICULOUS with a well-timed run to land the 1500-metre seventh race.
Wilfred Chin was the day's top trainer with two $100,000 Claiming winners, FRENCH SOUND in the 1000-metre straight eighth race and down-in-class WINNING CHOICE in the closing event at the same distance.
