- Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
HERECOMESFUDGIE (No. 2), a 7-1 chance with Peter Bryan aboard, holds the fast-finishing PITTACUS (Shane Ellis) at bay by half a length to win the $1.25 million UBA Gold Cup feature over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
POPULAR OWNER Joseph 'Fudgie' Duany took a giant step to his first owners' title at Caymanas Park yesterday when his classy three-year-old gelding HERECOMESFUDGIE won the 37th running of the United Bookmakers Association Gold Cup over 1400 metres for top class horses.
Significantly, Duany and 13-time champion trainer Philip Feanny were winning this prestigious handicap race for the third consecutive year, following back to back wins by the reigning 'Horse of the Year' I'MSATISFIED.
Yesterday, the illustrious 6-y-o gelding could only manage fourth as the 9-5 second favourite, failing in his bid to emulate the legendary KILOWATT, the only three-time winner of the race.
HERECOMESFUDGIE, running at odds of 7-1 with useful lightweight jockey Peter Bryan aboard, won in a driving finish by half a length from recent Superstakes winner PITTACUS (3-1) under former champion Shane Ellis, with a farther neck away third to 8-1 chance ROYAL RUN who came flying at the finish with apprentice Dane Nelson, only to find the distance a trifle short.
HERECOMESFUDGIE raced prominently in third as 28-1 outsider CAT PRINCE under Robert Reid led at a fast clip from the well backed LIL' COUNTRY BOY (5-1) with top apprentice Paul Francis aboard.
By the time they sorted themselves out leaving the half mile, CAT PRINCE was joined by the crack imported sprinter LIL' COUNTRY BOY with the rail-running HERCOMECOMESFUDGIE a farther two lengths adrift in the star-studded field of nine, possibly the best ever assembled for a major race in recent years.
These were followed by a three-length gap to PITTACUS, topweight I'MSATISFIED and METEOR MAN disputing fourth just ahead of the marginal 9-5 favourite FORGOTTEN HERO, the mount of champion jockey Trevor Simpson.
SMART TIME
LIL' COUNTRY BOY, who had taken over the lead from CAT PRINCE approaching the 600-metre point, turned for home some two lengths clear of the stable-companions HERECOMESFUDGIE and I'MSATISFIED on the outside, but in the end was overhauled by the strong running 'FUDGIE' who held on grimly in deep stretch to repel the late challenges of PITTACUS and ROYAL RUN widest of all.
The winner covered the distance in the smart time of 1:24.1, behind splits of 23.2, 45.4 and a blistering 1:10.4 for the first 1200 metres.
Bryan, who is popularly called 'Pam Pam', was elated in winning this important race, sponsored by the United Bookmakers Association for the first time.
"I rode him to the trainer's instructions and was confident throughout the race," he recalled.
"This horse was working too well and in my estimation was too light (46.0kg) to lose. My only concern was to try and get a good break and keep him out of trouble," said Bryan of HERECOMESFUDGIE who was sixth to PITTACUS in the November 8 Red Stripe Superstakes but came back minus the figure eight equipment for this race and duly turned the tables.
Dane Nelson, who rode third placed ROYAL RUN for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, said his charge was overwhelmed by the scorching early pace.
"I was riding him hard from the half mile but he was going nowhere in last position. But he found his legs early in the last furlong and was finishing so fast that I would have beaten them with a further 20 metres to go," he explained.
Duany, locked in a dogfight with reigning champion Richard Azan at the start of the day, all but sealed the owners' championship with HERECOMESFUDGIE taking top honours and I'MSATISFIED (Winston Griffiths up) claiming fourth place. Both men started the day with $8.4 million in stakes with Azan marginally ahead, but Duany earned a total of $738,350 from the $1.25 million purse and improved to $9.1 million.
A 3-y-o bay gelding by Law Of The Sea out of Hya, HERECOMESFUDGIE who earlier this season won the St. Leger will be back to contest the season's final big race, the Harry Jackson Memorial Cup over 2400 metres on Boxing Day.
Meanwhile, returning champion jockey Trevor Simpson rode four winners on the 10-race programme to push his season's tally to 105, while DaCosta posted three winners including 10-1 shot PRIME FURY with Simpson astride.
