Ainsley Walters, Staff ReporterMR. DUNN's disqualification yesterday denied champion apprentice Paul 'Country' Francis a three-timer, which would have made him sole leader of the jockeys' standings at Caymanas Park in the absence of top riders Trevor Simpson and Clive Lynch.
Francis, who on Thursday night fell one vote short of being named Most Improved Rider for 2004 at the None-Such Awards Cere-mony, was again left cursing his luck after his mount in yesterday's fifth race, MR. DUNN, was disqualified after flashing past the post heads-on with XTRA ROYAL, ridden by Charlie Scott.
Both horses were inseparable when the photo-finish camera was called on, declaring a dead-heat, giving Francis what seemed to be his second winner of the afternoon after landing the first race aboard PHYSICS BOOK.
However, after a lengthy steward's inquiry, MR. DUNN, who was scoring back-to-back wins for his new trainer, Gresford Smith, had his number taken down for causing interference to TOCUMEN inside the final furlong.
TOCUMEN was about to launch a challenge between horses when MR. DUNN drifted to his right, denying the six-year-old gelding racing room at a crucial stage of the 1000-metre straight race.
Francis returned to win the following event aboard 3-5 favourite MAJESTIC KING but hardly broke a smile, still ruing his earlier disqualification. The two-timer moved Francis to eight winners, joining Simpson and Lynch at the top of the jockeys' table.
SIMPSON ON VACATION
Neither Simpson nor Lynch were in action yesterday. Simpson is still said to be vacationing abroad whereas Lynch is nursing a fractured toe and is out to start a three-day suspension as soon as he is well enough to return to the saddle.
Shane Ellis also had two winners yesterday, winning narrowly aboard SEATTLE'S GIRL in the eighth and UNQUESTIONABLE in the 12th event.
The afternoon's co-features, the Abe Issa and Clifford Stewart Memorial events, went to LIL' COUNTRY BOY and SELECT PRINCESS respectively. Overwhelming favourite LIL' COUNTRY BOY, ridden by Charles Hussey, made all in the 1200-metre Abe Issa to beat stablemates FORMALLY GOLD and ROYAL MALICE.
SELECT PRINCESS won the Clifford Stewart at long odds of 10-1, blasting past AFFIRMATION a half furlong out in the 1200-metre race, wininng easily with apprentice Andron Findley slipping off his goggles and looking all over the park.
It was just reward for SELECT PRINCESS' connection after a hasty ride by apprentice Patrick Henry cost the four-year-old filly last Saturday's closing event, losing by a nose to BUTCHER MAN after shooting clear off the home turn.
Reporting up in class for the $170,000 Claiming event, SELECT PRINCESS swung for home sixth and started motoring a furlong out to first collar DRAMATICS before zipping past AFFIRMATION, who had taken over the lead from SPEED EXPRESS at the top of the lane.
Henry, however, was in good form yesterday, booting home UNTOUCHABLE for an upset win over HEARTOFAMAVERICK in the 1,600-metre seventh race. The lightweight apprentice put the Rowan Mathie-trained five-year-old horse in front down the backstretch and capitalised on his featherweight 48 kilos to run HEARTOFAMAVERICK off his legs into the straight, denying the gelding five straight wins.
