Ainsley Walters, Staff Reoprter
Neville Cooper-trained War Turf (right), ridden by Christopher Fearon, goes by Pure Justice, with champion jockey Trevor Simpson to win yesterday's 1100-metre seventh race at Caymanas Park. - Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
TOP TRAINERS Phillip Feanny and Wayne DaCosta shared honours in yesterday's co-features at Caymanas Park, posting winners in the Supreme Feeds and Jamaica Livestock Association (JLA) Trophy races respectively.
Feanny's two-year-old debutant, MYLEGACY, a half-sister to this year's Derby winner, MIRACLE MAN, turned back the challenge of Noel Ennevor's WAR LEGEND to win the 1100-metre Supreme Feeds Trophy for Maiden runners with champion jockey Trevor Simpson aboard.
DaCosta, who looks set to dethrone Feanny this season, kept his $7m lead intact atop the trainers' standings when his American-bred EXCLUSIVE RUNNER romped home by almost eight lengths in the one-mile JLA Trophy race under veteran rider Charles Hussey.
Both feature events carried $500,000 purses and were part-sponsored by JLA.
FIRST TO WATCH
Owner Joseph Duany, whose MIRACLE MAN captured the final two legs of the Triple Crown Series this season, was at the races to watch 3-5 favourite MYLEGACY outsprint the much touted WAR LEGEND.
MISS CODY BANKS led the big 14-horse field from the gate but was attacked by the pair of MYLEGACY and WAR LEGEND three-and-a-half furlongs out.
Racing widest of the trio, the gelding WAR LEGEND appeared to be going better coming around from his outside draw but Simpson had a lot in hand aboard MYLEGACY and unleashed the filly off the home turn.
Entering the final furlong well clear of WAR LEGEND, MYLEGACY moved further away for a five-length win. A tiring WAR LEGEND lost second on the wire to MAKING DREAMS.
Duany afterwards said he has high hopes for the filly in December's one-mile Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, the final leg of the Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) Jamaica Two-Year-Old Series, which carries a purse of $3.5 million.
"She's special, very special for me," said Duany, who named both the filly and MIRACLE MAN following his near-death experience after suffering a heart attack two years ago.
"I'm confident of her going longer and I am looking forward to the mile race but that's up to the trainer whether he'll run her before,"he added, referring to Race Two in the SVL Series, set for 1300 metres on November 26, when she could very well come up against tougher colts such as the likes of DaCosta's unbeaten SUPER NATURAL as well as stablemates MINISTER ON FIRE and FIRE WORKS.
SPECIAL RUN
"They are colts and will have that advantage but this was my first run and I believe she's special. I'm not concerned about them because last year before MIRACLE MAN came out it was all about KAMIR and COLTRANE," Duany added.
Meanwhile, the ding-dong battle in the jockeys' standings between champion rider Simpson and Trinidadian Brian Harding was at its peak yesterday as both riders shared two winners each.
Simpson brought down the house in the first event aboard BACHELOR OF ARTS, upstaging Harding with the 1-2 favourite STORMY SKY,who finished fourth.
The win pulled Simpson level on 70 winners with Harding but the Trinidadian won the fifth in a driving finish aboard QUICK MEDIC to which Simpson replied with MYLEGACY.
However, Harding had the final say of the day, scoring an upset win with 10-1 shot SAMMY MY GIRL in the nightpan, moving to 72 winners, still one ahead of Simpson.
Trainers Harry Parsard and Gary Subratie both posted doubles to top all trainers in races won. Parsard scored
with ALLEGRO and 23-1 longshot CHESAPEAKE BAY whereas Subratie's winners were QUICK MEDIC and SAMMY MY GIRL.
