By Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer 
LIL' COUNTRY BOY (Trevor Simpson) is all alone at the finish of yesterday's feature race for the Arthur Jones Cup at Caymanas Park. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
THE PRIVATE battle for 'A1' supremacy between top trainers Wayne DaCosta and Philip Feanny took another turn at Caymanas Park yesterday with the DaCosta-trained LIL' COUNTRY BOY going wire-to-wire in the 3-y-o and up graded stakes for the Arthur Jones Cup over 1200 metres.
Since the start of the season, trophy races in the top class have been the preserve of either reigning champion DaCosta or 13-time champion Feanny, with I'MSATISFIED, HERECOMESFUDGIE and LIL'COUNTRY BOY taking turns at beating each other in four separate races.
The crack imported sprinter LIL' COUNTRY BOY drew first blood on January 31 when leading home the Feanny pair of I'MSATISFIED and HERCOMESFUDGIE over 1100 metres.
When all three met again in the Abe Issa Memorial Cup over 1200 metres on February 21, I'MSATISFIED came into his own to beat LIL' COUNTRY BOY and HERECOMESFUDGIE in decisive fashion. And when they met for a third time in the Eros Trophy over 1400 metres on March 6, it was the turn of HERECOMESFUDGIE to upstage the then favourite I'MSATISFIED with LIL' COUNTRY BOY managing only fifth.
Yesterday, it came full circle, with LIL' COUNTRY BOY, under champion jockey Trevor Simpson, putting it across his old rivals in a field of seven, four trained by Feanny and three by DaCosta.
BLAZING THE FIRST QUARTER
Administered Lasix for the first time, LIL'COUNTRY BOY led at a fast clip from HERECOMESFUDGIE and I'MSATISFIED under leading all-time jockey Winston 'Fanna' Griffiths, blazing the first quarter in a blistering 22.4 and the half mile in 45.3.
Running like a scared hare leaving the half mile, the American 4-y-o colt turned for home three lengths clear of top weight I'MSATISFIED. But he was still full of running approaching the distance and under some torrid left-hand whipping from Simpson, LIL' COUNTRY BOY kept on very strongly to hold the big striding I'MSATISFIED at bay by 1 1/2 lengths with 'FUDGIE' finishing a further two lengths away third.
By Diligence out of Lil' Country Gal, LIL' COUNTRY BOY is owned by Alexander Haber and bred in the US by Steve Tucker and David Hunt.
Simpson had a second winner on the card in 6-5 favourite RED BOOTLACES in the fifth race for $320,000-$290,000 claimers, but he was overshadowed by leading jockey Shane Ellis who reeled off three winners - COZY PROSPECTOR (3-2) in the second, STTRAIGHT SIX an even-money favourite in the fourth and 6-5 favourite BLOW WIND BLOW in the eighth race for maiden four-year-olds and up.
As a result, Ellis has pushed his season's tally to 20 - three clear of closest rival, the apprentice Paul Francis and seven clear of Simpson in fourth. Apprentice Oneil Mullings, who holds down third with 15 wins, sat out the final day of a three-day suspension yesterday and returns on Wednesday with seven rides on the 10-race card.
Meanwhile, the unbeaten three-year-old gelding DISTINCTLY IRISH (Griffiths riding for Feanny) made an auspicious seasonal debut with a 4 1/4-length victory over the imported filly LADY KAYLA in the restricted stakes race over 1300 metres his 2000 Guineas preparations.
