Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterSENIOR JOCKEY Clive Lynch stole the show at Caymanas Park yesterday with a sparkling three-timer to assume sole leadership in the jockeys' standings with eight winners.
Lynch booted home INTROSPECTION at 9-2 in the eighth race over 1600 metres, HAIL THE I at 5-1 in the ninth over 1500 metres for maiden three-year-olds and ASK JOE at 5-1 in the closing race for $140,000 conditional claimers over 1200 metres.
All three came through in the straight to win in similar fashion, but ASK JOE, who is often tardy at the start, came from a seemingly hopeless position among the backmarkers to win decisively in the end.
Lynch, who rode the first two winners on New Year's Day to signal his intention, said on that occasion. "This year I mean business."
Yesterday his action spoke louder than words as the 34-year-old
jockey looked very strong in the saddle, especially aboard INTROSPECTION who swept past long-time leader and favourite MISS STRAWBERRY leaving the furlong pole to win convincingly. His aggressive riding style should serve him well in the months ahead.
Lynch, however, was out of luck aboard even-money favourite EMMVEEPEE in the day's feature for the Colin Melhado Memorial Cup (claiming $210,000-$180,000) over 1200 metres, won by 5-2 chance PRODIGAL SON.
DISSIPATE CHANCES
EMMVEEPEE, who finished third, dissipated her chances when she reared on leaving the starting gate and was outpaced by the leaders SAMMY MY GIRL and OUTSWINGER as a result.
Although forced to come wide into the straight, EMMVEEPEE pointed briefly on the wide outside leaving the furlong pole. But by then she had little in reserve and PRODIGAL SON, who was never far off the pace, stormed through in the middle to win his second consecutive race in as many race days.
Owned by the X Factor, PRODIGAL SON, a 6-y-o chestnut horse by The Medic out of Country Chosen, was ridden by the improving claiming apprentice Dalton Brown for trainer Richie Todd. Brown, a past student of Camperdown High, said:
"I won comfortably with him last week and knew that he would report even better for this race so I was pretty confident that he could win again. Some people are saying that he won in a slow time last week but the track was on the slow side then.
"This is a horse who had the back class to repeat at this claming level and I knew I had then beaten when the leaders began to shorten a furlong out", recalled the 24-year-old apprentice who followed up on his double on the previous Saturday with another yesterday.
Earlier on the programme, Brown teamed up with Todd to win the third race over the circular nine course with 10-1 chance RED GENERAL. The six-year-old gelding was brought with a late run to catch long-time leader CORDITE in deep stretch, winning by two lengths.
Meanwhile, champion jockey 'Slicer' Simpson could only muster one winner on the 11-race programme in 3-5 favourite BUTCHER MAN in the second race over 1400 metres to move to six winners so far this season.
PASSA PASSA
Simpson had the misfortune of riding the wrong horses for trainer Wayne DaCosta in two races. In the first instance he rode the howling favourite JACK BE GOOD in the fourth race for three-year-olds, only to see the lesser fancied stable-companion PASSA PASSA (6-1), ridden by the sparingly raced Lanscott Fray, run out a convincing winner.
In the 10th race he was again aboard the DaCosta-trained favourite LADY KAYLA, but stable-companion HEARTOFAMAVERICK (9-2) with Charles Hussey astride duly made it four in a row for owner, Member of Parliament Derrick Smith who was on hand to celebrate the victory.
