Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
CRIMSON MAGIC, ridden flat out by former champion jockey Hubert 'Chinna' Bartley, wins the closing 1600-metre race for the Louis Hitchins Memorial Cup at Caymanas Park yesterday as the 2-1 favourite. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
TRINIDADIAN JOCKEY Brian Harding took the riding honours at Caymanas Park yesterday with three winners, including 4-5 favourite EPICTATUS
in the overnight allowance race
over the straight five course.
His other winners were the Ken Mattis-trained LE CHIC, a 4-5 favourite in the fourth race over the round five course, and 3-5 favourite ME LLAMO in the ninth over 2000 metres for maiden three-year-olds.
As a result of this three-timer, Harding pushed his season's tally to 17, overtaking Charles Hussey for second in the jockeys' championship. Harding is now 10 adrift of runaway leader and current champion Trevor 'Slicer' Simpson who sat out day two of a three-day suspension yesterday.
Harding had to summon all the skills at his disposal to bring home the Anthony 'Baba' Nunes-trained ME LLAMO in a driving finish from 7-1 chance UNIQUE SELECTION under in-form champion apprentice Paul 'Country' Francis.
UNIQUE SELECTION turned for home two lengths clear of ME LLAMO gone second, but showed a lot of spunk when the latter moved up to challenge a furlong out. A neck-and-neck duel ensued between the two until ME LLAMO on the outside gained the ascendancy in the last 50 metres to win by a head. Twelve ran.
In the 10th race, the Nunes-trained EPICTATUS won by two lengths from his lesser fancied stable-companion ZICKWARTY (5-1) under three-time champion jockey Hubert 'Chinna' Bartley, with third going to the Hussey-ridden CHOSEN ONE (3-1) in a field of 11.
GOT INTO TOP GEAR
EPICTATUS raced just off the early pace in third as highly fancied NATURAL PRINCE led narrowly from ZICKWARTY who assumed the lead leaving the quarter pole. But EPICTATUS, who was apparently biding his time on the stands' side, soon got into top gear, sweeping past ZICKWARTY early in the last furlong to win convincingly in the good time of 58.1 behind splits of 23.2, 46.3.
By Domino Jack out of the Exotic Traveler mare Jeweloftheheart, EPICTATUS is owned by Barbados-based Elias Haloute. It was the 5-y-o gelding's first outing since Boxing Day.
Meanwhile, trainer Joseph Thomas came into his own with a rare triple comprising odds-on favourite SIMPLYUNBELIEVABLE under leading all-time champion jockey Winston Griffiths in the sixth race over 1820 metres, RUDE BOY, a 9-5 favourite in the seventh for $140,000 claimers, and LITTLE PALIUM at 6-1 in the straight five race for conditional $140,000 claimers. Thomas is an ex-jockey.
The day's feature race for the Louis Hitchins Memorial Cup (claiming $260,000-$220,000) over 1600 metres was won in spectacular fashion by Hubert Bartley aboard the 2-1 favourite CRIMSON MAGIC.
Outpaced in the 11-strong field as PHANTOM J made most ahead of OUTSWINGER and WINNING MESSAGE, CRIMSON MAGIC was brought with a tremendous rail run approaching the distance to win in a driving finish from ASYNJUR who had taken over from the leaders early in the straight.
RESPONDED WELL
"This horse takes a lot of riding," said Bartley. "But when I asked him for his winning effort at the top of the straight, he responded well and was flying in the last furlong."
CRIMSON MAGIC, who shouldered top weight of 56kg, is owned by Andre Chai and completed a double for trainer Lawrence Freemantle on the 11-race programme. The trainer had earlier saddled repeat winner PROCEEDACCORDINGLY to a fantastic 22-length victory in the opening race over 1200 metres with Leo 'Twitch' Miller aboard.
The Bartley-ridden favourite MUSICAL MAESTRO became the third winner to be disqualified by the Stewards this season when demoted to third in the second race over 1200 metres for three-year-olds. MUSICAL MAESTRO won in a thrilling three-way photo finish, but was subsequently disqualified and placed third for interfering with third past the post CARTER WONG in the stretch drive. The race was awarded to the Hussey-ridden THUNDER SQUAD at 2-1.
A notable performance on the card was turned in by the American 3-y-o colt JUST SOME THOUGHTS (4-1) in the fifth race over 1100 metres.
Ridden by Paul Francis for trainer Glenville Morrissey, JUST SOME THOUGHTS ran through from just off the early pace approaching the distance to win by 6 1/2 lengths from the Harding-ridden SEATTLE'S GIRL, covering the distance in the smart time of 1:05.3, behind splits of 22.3, 46.1.
