- Dennis CokeEASY WINNER: The 7-2 chance FABRIKATOR (Robert Reid) sprints clear of rivals to win the eighth race over 1800 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
TOP apprentice Ramon Parish ended a lean spell at Caymanas Park yesterday when he booted home 7-2 chance VISIONARY in the Racing Pools Trophy over 1300 metres, but only just from the fast-finishing BLOODY MARY (7-2) who came a trifle late.
VISIONARY, fitted with the visor for the first time by champion trainer Philip Feanny, reported razor sharp for the Restricted Allowance IV (non winners of three) feature for four-year-olds and up, to the extent that he brushed aside early leaders GENTLE RIVER CAT (5-1) and ROYAL ENCOUNTER (4-1) leaving the half mile to race into a clear lead entering the straight.
Keeping on strongly, VISIONARY entered the last 200 metres still clear of ROYAL ENCOUNTER, BLOODY MARY and the 3-5 favourite DANCING FLAMES on the outside, but shortened in the deep stretch and just survived the closing rush of BLOODY MARY under two-time champion jockey Trevor Simpson, winning by a neck.
In third place, just over a length away, was ROYAL ENCOUNTER who in turn was only a neck ahead of DANCING FLAMES who ran as though she needed the race after looking to have every chance in mid-stretch.
A bay colt by Exotic Traveler out of Appealing Peace, VISIONARY was winning for the first time in nearly a year. He is owned by Kit C. Lam and bred by Harold Morrison.
For Parish, the win was his first of the season. The young rider, who promised so much last year when finishing second to Charles Hussey in the jockeys' championship, feels this winner is the tonic he needed to refocus his career.
According to reports, Parish is playing with the idea of recalling his former agent, Donovan Wilson, instead of looking rides for himself.
Parish fired Wilson last September out of frustration in his bid for the championship, but Wilson quickly found a gold mine in senior jockey Clive Lynch who rode his ninth winner of the season yesterday.
Lynch won aboard the sparingly raced FOREST FRESH, the seven-year-old gelding from the stables of Joseph Thomas returning from a 19-month absence to make all in the closing $100,000 claiming race over 1700 metres.
Meanwhile, the 3-y-o debutant PRETTYPRESUMPTUOUS (9-2) became the third winner to be disqualified this season when he was taken down and placed second for interfering with the 1-5 favourite SATISFIER (awarded race) in the 1100m maiden condition race for three-year-olds.
PRETTYPRESUMPTUOUS, ridden by Trevor Simpson for part owner Derrick Smith Jr. (son of the M.P.) and trainer and part owner Wayne DaCosta, made virtually all. However, the son of Royal Minister Sweet Desire came down off a true line leaving the furlong pole, forcing Winston Griffiths aboard the Feanny-trained SATISFIER to switch from the inside to the outside.
In the end, PRETTYPRESUMPTUOUS held on by half a length from fast-finishing SATISFIER, but his subsequent disqualification by the Stewards was highly controversial among turfites, many of whom felt discretion was thrown out the window.
