Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
INFINITY GIRL, running at odds of 7-2 with top apprentice Paul 'Country Kid' Francis up, made short work of her 13 opponents to win the Henry George Harrison Memorial Sr. Cup feature over 1300 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Owned by Derrick and Dorine Nelson and trained by Charles Morrissey, INFINITY GIRL won by 9 3/4 lengths from 3-2 favourite GUNG TONG WAH who in turn had a neck to spare over GLOBAL AFFAIR (7-1) in third.
It was the grey YO YO'S PAL, under in-form Panamanian jockey Ameth Robles, who led for the first half of the race, with INFINITY GIRL racing close up, along with GUNG TONG WAH in third.
INFINITY GIRL assumed the lead from YO YO'S PAL leaving the half mile and turned for home (wide) about two lengths clear of GUNG TONG WAH on the outside and YO YO'S PAL on the rails. But the anticipated challenge from the Wesley Henry-ridden GUNG TONG WAH did not materialise as INFINITY GIRL skittered away from her approaching the distance to win pulling a bus.
A 4-y-o chestnut filly by Footloose out of Another Mary, INFINITY GIRL has now won twice from 13 career starts, her maiden win coming over the straight five course last year.
Meanwhile, champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, who posted four winners on the Derby Day programme the previous Saturday, ticked off two more when his three-year-old gelding GOOD COMPANY and the filly BLACK THATCH won the first and ninth races respectively.
In the opening race over 1100 metres for native and imported three-year-olds, the 1-2 favourite GOOD COMPANY, under champion jockey Trevor Simpson, came from well off the pace to catch long-time leader SCOTCHONTHEROCKS in the last furlong, winning by 2 3/4 lengths.
DaCosta also won the overnight allowance one mile race with 2-1 second favourite BLACK THATCH (Dane Nelson up) whose more fancied stable-companion, ZULU PRINCESS with Simpson aboard, could only manage fourth after making most of the running under pressure from RED GENERAL and PHAREAL.
Simpson rode two winners on the card in favourites GOOD COMPANY and ZIRCON to widen his lead over closest rival Wesley Henry (who was winless) in the jockeys' standings. Simpson pushed his tally to 47, followed by Henry (32) with Francis holding down third on 31 winners after booting home INFINITY GIRL.
GOOD COMPANY and ZIRCON were among three favourites to score. The upsets were provided by TIGERINTHEWOODS at 63-1 in the knotty fifth race over 1500 metres for $250,000-$230,000 claimers and SIR SASTRI BAHADUR at 17-1 in the seventh.
TIGERINTHEWOODS, ridden by former champion apprentice Ramon Parish for trainer Albert Chong, came through early in the straight and proceeded to silence the crowd.
