Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
BIG HORSE I'MSATISFIED turned in another weight-defying performance at Caymanas Park yesterday to win the $625,000 Arthur Jones Memorial Cup over 1200m for top-class horses, feature event on the well-supported Jockey's Association Day 11-race programme.
Installed a 6-5 favourite with customary pilot Winston Griffiths riding for champion trainer Philip Feanny, the 2000 Triple Crown winner battled on resolutely throughout the last furlong to win by three-quarter length from the 2000 Caribbean Sprint champion RUCKUS (7-1) who was in receipt of 13kg from him.
NEFTENGA (5-2) closed late from last position in the seven-strong field to finish a farther 1 3/4 lengths third.
Shouldering the crushing impost of 59kg, I'MSATISFIED bided his time just off the leaders in third as his fleet-footed stable-companion PERSONAL NEMESIS (11-1) led narrowly from METEOR MAN (17-1) who went through approaching the home turn.
I'MSATISFIED and RUCKUS, moving as a team from the 600-metre point, challenged as they swung into the straight and soon went by a tiring METEOR MAN. Both flashed past the furlong pole locked in a neck and neck duel, but I'MSATISFIED was not to be denied in the closing stages.
Winning owner, Joseph "Fudgie" Duany had this to say of his charge:
"He has come on tremendously since late last year and right now is easily the best horse up to a mile in the country. He usually does just enough to win but no horse relishes a fight more than him. He's all guts."
Meanwhile, MR. VOLCANO (5-1) with former champion Hubert Bartley up, won the Jockeys' Association Trophy race over 1400 metres in a driving finish from 6-1 chance MAN OF STAR, while in other trophy races on the card, ZEEDON (4-1), ridden by Ramon Parish for trainer Roy Jackson, produced a tremendous strecth run to win the Frankie Frazer Memorial Cup (overnight allowance) over 1300m by a nose from stable-companion BISTRO (34-1).
