Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
RUNNING ON strongly in the straight, ROYAL RUN overhauled his lesser fancied stable-companion METEOR MAN in the last furlong to win the circular nine feature for the Bonnie Blue Flag Trophy in a driving finish at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Installed a 4-5 favourite with four-time champion Charles Hussey riding for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, ROYAL RUN, voted champion stayer last year, was outpaced at the rear in the field of six top class horses as the lightly weighted JOHNNY'S KING (6-1) made most, ahead of METEOR MAN (11-1).
Also prominently placed were SATISFIER, highly fancied HERECOMESFUDGIE (2-1) and last year's winner MILLIMETRE who gradually improved on the inside rails to go third approaching the half mile.
MADE GOOD HEADWAY
METEOR MAN disposed of long-time leader JOHNNY'S KING leaving the 600-metre pole and turned for home two lengths clear of HERECOMESFUDGIE. By then, however, ROYAL RUN had made good headway to straighten several lengths off the pace in third on the outside, and was soon taking dead aim at METEOR MAN.
He caught up with the leader early in the last furlong but had to be driven out by Hussey to gain the ascendancy, winning by three-quarter length from a very brave METEOR MAN.
HERECOMESFUDGIE, on whom leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths was seeking his 1,499th career win, failed in his bid to beat ROYAL RUN at level weights this time around.
The Philip Feanny-trained 4-y-o gelding, who beat ROYAL RUN in the Legal Light Trophy over the distance when they met previously on April 3, finished another 2 1/2 lengths away third, while his stable-companion SATISFIER placed fourth.
The winner, a 5-y-o bay gelding by Royal Minister out of Run Marisa Run, ticked off his first win since landing the Governor General's Stakes over 2000 metres at the expense of HERECOMESFUDGIE in October of last year.
WIRE TO WIRE VICTORY
Hussey capped the feature race double with a wire to wire victory aboard his mother's young filly, QUEEN AIR, in the season's first two-year-old race, the Starters' Trophy over 400 metres straight, winning by two lengths frrom NEWFOUND GLORY who chased her throughout in a field of six.
A well-conformed chestnut filly by Law Of The Sea out of Surface to Air, QUEEN AIR is trained by Percy Hussey and bred by the Y.S. (1955) Limited.
Also riding two winners were Simpson (That's My Number, Affairs of State) and top apprentice Paul Francis (Wimbledon, Banjuhar), while DaCosta (Royal Run, Affairs Of State), Richie Todd (That's My Number, Ruckus) and Richard Azan (Wimble-don, Banjuhar) shared the training honours with two winners each.
DaCosta was denied a three-timer when BANJUHAR (9-2) floored the odds on the howling favourite FORMALLY GOLD who failed in her attempt to make all in the seventh race over 1800 metres for overnight allowance horses.
BANJUHAR, who was held up for most of the way, ran on strongly from early in the straight to outfinish the American 3-y-o filly in deep stretch, winning by two lengths in a field of seven.
With leading jockey Shane Ellis notching only one winner (Good To Go) to move 29, he is now only one ahead of Simpson and four ahead of 'Country' Francis in the standings. The 12-race programme produced eight winning favourites and one mild upset in MARVELLOUS MINISTER at 7-1 in the ninth.
