Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer
FAVOURITES LATONIA and SUPREMELYSATISFIED won the Thornbird and Prince Consort Guineas Trial Stakes over 1400 metres, in driving finishes, at Caymanas Park yesterday.
LATONIA, sent off a 3-5 favourite with champion apprentice Paul Francis aboard, established herself as the ante-post favourite for the April 3 Track Price Plus 1000 Guineas over 1600 metres when closing determingly from below the distance to catch and beat long-time leader SEATTLE SUE (2-1) by three-quarter length in the Thornbird Stakes contested by eight native bred three-year-old fillies.
It was the Philip Feanny-trained SEATTLE SUE under apprentice Dane Nelson who set off in front, closely followed by LATONIA, 4-1 chance SEGA and FLYWITHME, the mount of champion jockey Trevor Simpson.
Using her light impost to good advantage, SEATTLE SUE blew past the half mile two lengths clear of LATONIA and was still full of running entering the straight (wide).
At this stage she maintained a two-length lead over LATONIA, but by the time they flashed inside the last furlong, LATONIA on the outside was looking down her throat.
Despite this, SEATTLE SUE under some torrid right hand whipping held the challenge until the last 100 metres until LATONIA, under hard driving from 'Country' Francis, gained the ascendancy for a narrow but decisive win.
The 30-1 outsider HENRIETTA MARIA (outpaced) stayed on for third, a farther 8 3/4 lengths adrift, while SEGA, under former champion Charles Hussey, failed in her bid to complete the hat-trick and faded into fourth.
LATONIA is trained by Anthony 'Baba' Nunes for Barbadian owner Elias Haloute who was on hand to see not only LATONIA win, but his impressive 4-y-o gelding EPICTATUS with leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths aboard as well.
A bay filly by Footloose out of the Wise Emissary mare Private Number, LATONIA is bred by many-time champion Henry Jaghai J.P. This was her first outing since finishing fourth to top rated DISTINCTLY IRISH in the Jamaica Lottery Company 2-y-o Stakes over a mile last Boxing Day.
Although out of lucky with SEATTLE SUE, 13-time champion trainer Philip Feanny made no mistake with the lightly weighted SUPREMELYSATISFIED in the Prince Consort Stakes for colts and gelding.
Installed a 2-1 favourite with bang in form lightweight jockey Peter Bryan aboard, SUPREMELYSATISFIED raced prominently in third as 19-1 chance RUN PAPA RUN made most from highly fancied CRUCIAL POINT.
DRIVEN OUT
He successfully challenged RUN PAPA RUN passing the 600-metre pole but after turning for home a good leader, had to be driven out in the closing stages to repel a storming late run from the 5-2 second favourite on the rails, holding on by three-quarter length in a time of 1:27.1, the same returned by LATONIA in the Thornbird Stakes.
The Nunes/Haloute-owned CRUISING ALTITUDE (6-1), with Francis astride, raced prominently for third, while RUN PAPA RUN faded into fourth in a field of 11.
A lightly raced 3-y-o colt by Law Of The Sea out of The Peacemaker mare Midnight Angel, SUPREMELYSATISFIED is owned by the Two Amigos and bred by HAM Stables. This was his maiden win from three starts.
Bryan energed the day's most successful rider with two winners in SUPREMELYSATISFIED and the sparingly raced 4-y-o filly, Peter McMaster's THE RASTAFARIAN who won the straight five restricted allowance race in a driving finish from STRIKING LIGHTNING.
With leading jockey Oneil Mullings stood down for three days as of yesterday, title chasing Shane Ellis seized the opportunity to assume the lead in the standings after riding two winners in SPEED EXPRESS and ZAHBO, both for owner/trainer Richard Azan.
Ellis now leads with 16 winners, one ahead of Francis and Mullings jointly in second, and six clear of Trevor Simpson who failed to ride a winner for the second consecitive race meet.
The day's lone upset was provided by SHOWDOWN at 8-1 in the eighth race over 1400 metres. Ridden by bustling lightweight Leo Miller, the 6-y-o gelding outbattled 3-1 chance BOUND FOR GLORY by 1 1/4 lengths to make it two in a row.
