By Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
NO TEAR, ridden by the leading apprentice Paul Francis, wins yesterday's Caymanas Park feature for the George Price Memorial Cup over 1400 metres in decisive fashion, this at the expense of 7-5 favourite and long-time leader FRIENDLY EXPRESS (Oneil Mullings) who was caught just inside the last furlong. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
VASTLY-IMPROVED NO TEAR completed a hat-trick at Caymanas Park yesterday with a smooth victory in the George Price Memorial Cup feature over 1500 metres, this confined to $260,000 to $220,000 claimers.
Although stepping up the claiming ladder to vie for this trophy, NO TEAR with top apprentice Paul Francis again at the helm, was backed down to 7-2 and led home closest rival FRIENDLY EXPRESS, the 7-5 favourite, by 1 1/4 lengths in a field of eight.
NO TEAR bided her time off the early pace in fifth as the rail-running FRIENDLY EXPRESS led comfortably from YOUNG SUMMER (14-1), MR. VIGOROUS (4-1) and highly fancied ROSY CAT (5-2).
FRIENDLY EXPRESS, running under the apprentice Oneil Mullings, turned for home about three lengths clear of NO TEAR and YOUNG SUMMER jointly in second, but although clear at this stage, was reeled in by the hard-ridden NO TEAR approaching the distance.
She caught up with FRIENDLY EXPRESS early in the last furlong and soon disposed of him to win decisively, posting her fourth win from her past five starts in the process.
MR. VIGOROUS held on for third a farther 3 1/2 lengths away while ROSY CAT was fourth.
A five-year-old bay mare by Splinter Red out of the Sky Commander mare Surveyable, NO TEAR is owned and trained by the veteran Noel Ennevor who has been enjoying notable success in recent months, to the extent that he is now seventh in the trainer's standings with more than $3.2 million due largely to 14 winners.
His form, however, pales into insignificance when compared to champion trainer Wayne DaCosta who chalked up win No. 70 of the season when his former 'A1' campaigner RESTLESS WARRIOR won the 1400-metre high claiming in convincing fashion from the fast-finishing RED GENERAL, who hurt his chances by walking out at the start.
Installed a 4-5 favourite, RESTLESS WARRIOR marked the eighth consecutive winner for leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths in tandem with DaCosta, a notable achievement.
The six-year-old chestnut gelding raced prominently in third as ABUELO led from fancied DR. R.S.F. who assumed the lead entering the straight. But DR. R.S.F was to prove no match for RESTLESS WARRIOR, who was brought with a smooth run by Griffiths on the rails to take command leaving the furlong pole, winning by 1 1/2 lengths in a field of six.
Meanwhile, apprentice Dalton Brown finally achieved his first success after an agonising wait of 10 months when he booted home the 5-2 chance DRAMATICS to a length and a half victory in the third race over the round five course.
Despite walking out of the starting gate in the field of six, DRAMATICS gradually mended to turn for home bang in contention on the outside. Switching his mount between horses approaching the distance, Brown drove the Robert Darby Jr.-trained DRAMATICS past long-time leader STRAIGHTTOTHEHEART in the last furlong for a decisive win.
Brown, who graduated from the Jockeys' School last November and started riding a week later, is a past student of Camperdown High. Not surprisingly, the 22-year-old claiming rider was the happiest man at Caymanas Park after weighing in, but all in all it was a day of mixed fortunes for him. Later in the afternoon he was thrown from his mount, XTRA SPECIAL, at the start of the eighth race over the straight five course. However, he escaped injury.
