By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterRETURNING CHAMPION jockey Trevor 'Slicer' Simpson highlighted yesterday's 10-race programme at Caymanas Park with four winners, among them METEOR MAN in the open allowance feature for the Gladiator Trophy over 1400 metres.
His other winners were PRINCE MOHAWK at 1-1 in the first race for two-year-olds, the 3-5 favourite JACK EM UP in the second over the straight five course and even-money favourite TROPICAL DREAMER in the fourth. He thus pushed his season's tally to 119 - 42 clear of closest rival Shane Ellis who rode one winner in MYBLUBELLE.
While the grey TROPICAL DREAM had an easy passage in scoring by 10 1/4 lengths over 1400 metres, Simpson had to dig deep aboard the others to win in driving finishes.
The Wayne DaCosta-trained METEOR MAN made most to win all out from his lesser fancied stable-companion ROYAL MALICE (13-1) under two-time champion Joe Buchanan in a field of six.
METEOR MAN was chased by the 4-5 favourite SATISFIER (Winston Griffiths up) from the half mile, but the recent Superstakes runner-up surprisingly faltered on entering the straight, leaving the highly fancied HEDIA'S PROSPECT (2-1) on the inside and ROYAL MALICE on the outside to carry the fight.
He thwarted a strong challenge from the lightly weighted HEDIA'S PROSPECT leaving the furlong pole and held on bravely with 57kg for a fighting victory over ROYAL MALICE, with HEDIA'S PROSPECT close up in third.
The winner, a 6-y-o bay gelding by Boone's Mill out of Tah Dah, is owned by Alexander Haber whose mother, Sonia Abdul, received the Gladiator Trophy on his behalf from Andrew Mullings.
Earlier in the afternoon, the sparingly raced three-year-old gelding LOCHNESS DRAGON (1-2 fav) also made most to win the Rameses Trophy secondary feature over 1600 metres by 3 3/4 lengths, from the highly fancied MOST WANTED and SIMPLYUNBELIEVABLE in a field of six.
WON CONVINCINGLY
Ridden by four-time champion Charles Hussey for his brother Percy and mom Ruth, LOCHNESS DRAGON, who was having his first outing since finishing fourth to RUN PAPA RUN in the St. Leger on July 3, came through on the inside to assume the lead from MY COLLATERAL approaching the half mile and although challenged by MOST WANTED (9-5) from the home turn, found a lot extra in the straight to win convincingly.
The third trophy race on the card, race number five in the CTL Claiming Series ($170,000 - $145,000) over 1300 metres, saw the down in class SIR KISSON LAL (4-5 fav) winning quite easily ahead of his lesser fancied stable-companion LADY KAMPOOR at 28-1, both trained by Barry Rambally.
SKITTERED AWAY
SIR KISSON LAL (Paul Francis up) took over the lead from Simpson's mount CHAMBO KOO at the half-way stage and skittered away in the straight to win by 5 1/2 lengths. CLASSY TANYA was declared a late non-starter, reducing the field to nine.
SIR KISSON LAL was one of five favourites to score on a day when THE SANDMAN at 21-1, MYBLUBELLE at 13-1 in the closing race and GRAND PRIX at 7-1 provided the upsets.
Richie Todd's THE SANDMAN, with Peter Bryan aboard, produced a strong last furlong run in the middle to catch and beat FLYING TIGER and long-time leader THAT'S GOLD drifting out under the stands in a driving finish in the fifth race over the straight five course.
GRAND PRIX, on the other hand, can thank her lucky stars. With apprentice Phillip Clunis up, she stormed through after the tearaway leader MISS MARGARETT (8-1) snapped a foreleg and decked jockey Paul Francis in the last furlong when seemingly having the race at her mercy.
