Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
INSATIABLE defied topweight and underfoot conditions at Caymanas Park yesterday to win the 3-y-o and up open allowance for the Melvin 'Babu' Chin Memorial Trophy over 1200 metres in a driving finish from MILLENIUM PRINCESS.
Installed a 2-1 third choice with customary pilot Clive Lynch astride, INSATIABLE was smartly away in the field of six and was ridden to press the early leader MILLENIUM PRINCESS (9-2) as they sorted themselves out.
Both were followed by a three-length gap to highly fancied ZULU PRINCESS (7-5) splashing away in third and the even-money favourite CAPTAIN BLIGH outpaced a bit in fourth.
WET SURFACE
Relishing every inch of the wet surface, INSATIABLE turned for home just ahead of MILLENIUM PRINCESS and ZULU PRINCESS not far away in third and although diving down to the rails early in the straight, dug in nicely under some torrid left hand whipping from below the distance to win by a length and a quarter from MILLENIUM PRINCESS with bustling lightweight jockey Robert Reid in the saddle.
CAPTAIN BLIGH, the mount of in-form Shane Ellis, kept on somewhat one-paced for third another 2 1/2L away, while ZULU PRINCESS faded into fourth, neither seeming to relish the underfoot conditions.
A 4-y-o chestnut gelding by Restless Thief out of The Peacemaker mare Instead of Roses, INSATIABLE who was racing for the first time since June 28 when losing narrowly to SPIRIT OF JAMAICA, is owned by the X Factor and trained by Richie Todd who holds down third in the trainers' standings with $11.3 million.
This was Todd's 58th winner of the season which places him second only to reigning champion Wayne DaCosta, eight of these wins coming via INSATIABLE during the current campaign.
The race meet also facilitated the 10 Breeders' Cup on simulcast from Santa Anita in California and the annual Celebrity Walkstackle which had a dramatic outcome.
Last year's runner up Rohan Daley passed the post first at odds of 4-1 in the walkstackle but following a Stewards' inquiry, the CVM sportcaster was disqualified for running.
FIVE DISQUALIFIED
To make matters worse, the Stewards went a step further and disqualified the first five past the post for running, awarding first place to world junior 200 metres champion Usain Bolt, the 3-5 favourite in a field of 15. Bolt who led for most of the way on a muddy surface before the first five ran past him in the last 50 metres, was winning the race for the second straight year.
Proceeds from the walkstackle were in aid of the Kidney Support Foundation of Jamaica.
With the top two jockeys in the standings - reigning champion Trevor Simpson and apprentice Paul Francis sidelined by suspensions, Simpson picking up three days for careless riding aboard Bloody Mary last Saturday, bustling lightweight Leo 'Twitch' Miller emerged the leading rider with two winners in the two-year-old filly YAHABIBI (1-2 favourite) and ZEEDON at 5-1 for trainer Robert Darby in the fifth over the circular nine course.
Patrick Fong, with the first two winners on the card (Maas Joe, Palmetto Xpress) and Noel Ennevor (Molten Lava, Charming Belle) shared the training honours with two winners each.
The 2-1 favourite CHARMING BELLE failed by half a length to catch 5-2 chance WATERS OF MERRIBAH in the eighth race over the round five course, but was awarded the race in the Stewards' Room.
WATERS OF MERRIBAH, owned by entertainer Coco Tea and ridden by the apprentice Garfield Morgan, was disqualified and placed out of the frame for having caused grave interference to TRAVELOCITY early in the straight.
