- Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
A STAR IS BORN: The American filly INTERNET COMMANDER (Charles Hussey) cruises home on a tight rein in the Sweet Ruckus Trophy race for two-year-olds, in smart time, at Caymanas Park yesterday. She is owned by Mercedes Gold and trained by Dwight Chen.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
THE CURTAIN fell on the 2003 racing season at Caymanas Park yesterday with the American filly INTERNET COMMANDER highlighting performances with an awesome display in the Sweet Ruckus Trophy for native and imported two-year-olds over 1400 metres.
Installed a 2-1 second favourite with four-time champion jockey Charles Hussey in the saddle, INTERNET COMMANDER went wire-to-wire in a field of eight, cruising home on a tight rein 5 1/2 lengths clear of the 1-2 favourite FORMALLY GOLD who got the better of highly fancied LADY KAYLA (2-1) for second in deep stretch.
Owned by Mercedes Gold and trained by Dwight Chen, the bay filly by Deputy Commander out of Dance Image covered the distance in the smart time of 1:25.1. However, had she been ridden out it is fair to say she would have clocked a second faster.
Owner Carl 'Django' Anderson of Mercedes Gold was particularly pleased about all aspects of her performance and is looking forward to next season with great anticipation.
"People are already saying she is a murderer and I expect her to make a big impact next year," said Anderson of INTERNET COMMANDER who was bought at the Ocala Sales in Florida for an undisclosed sum as a yearling in April of last year.
"I was fascinated by her breeding," Anderson said. "Her dam is by Sadler's Wells who not only had an impressive racing career in Europe some years ago, but her sire, Deputy Commander, has been associated with some notable stakes winners in the United States like Ten Most Wanted who was one of the best horses in the States in 2002," he said.
Anderson said if things go according to the script and she proves too good for her opponents in the coming year, he would seriously consider racing her in Florida. Whatever happens, the owner said she would not have a long racing career as the emphasis would be to prepare her for stud duties.
Significantly, Anderson is the former owner of AWESOME POWER, who won the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Derby in 2001 and is now standing for service at her owner's farm (formerly Mount Moreland).
Meanwhile, EMPERADOR, offering odds of 2-1 with returning champion jockey Trevor Simpson riding for in-form trainer Richie Todd, romped the day's co-feature for the Paul Newman Memorial Cup (claiming $320,000-$270,000) over a mile.
Chasing from the outset, the free running 5-y-o gelding blew past long-time leader MY PAL DON (2-1) 600 metres out and moved away to beat him by 7 1/2 lengths in a field of nine. The evens favourite, PROCEEDACCORDINGLY, with Hussey up, could only manage fourth.
Simpson had a second winner on the card for Todd in HARLEY BARLEY to finish the season on 112, clear of the apprentice Paul Francis on 65, followed by Shane Ellis, who rode two winners on the card as well, on 59.
In-form apprentice Oneil Mullings also notched two winners to finish the season in fourth on 52. Hussey also rode two winners in INTERNET COMMANDER and AERO COMMANDER. Richard Azan retained the owners' title ahead of Joseph Duany on Boxing Day when his charge BATTLEOX finished second in the valuable Lotto 2-Y-O Stakes won by DISTINCTLY IRISH.
