Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
TASSY'S WHIP, with Charles Hussey in the saddle, is led back to the winners' enclosure after her post-to-post victory in the $1 million Sweet Ruckus Trophy for native and imported two-year-olds over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ALEXANDER HABER outduelled the Barbadian Elias Haloute to win the 2005 owners' champion at Caymanas Park yesterday, thanks to an emphatic all-the-way victory by the American 2-y-o filly TASSY'S WHIP in the $1 million feature for the Sweet Ruckus Trophy over 1400 metres.
Unlike the jockeys' championship which saw Brian Harding shaking clear of defending champion Trevor Simpson over the last three racedays, the owners' championship went down to the wire and was only decided in the penultimate race on the final race day.
Although coming into the race with a lead of $226,700, Haloute was hoping that neither of Haber's two horses - TASSY'S WHIP or DIGITEC - would win in order to hold on.
MARGINAL FAVOURITE
However, this was not to be as TASSY'S WHIP, with four-time champion jockey Charles Hussey riding for newly-crowned champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, made all under top weight of 57kg to win by two lengths from QUEEN TAMARA as the 3-2 marginal favourite.
TASSY'S WHIP, who was chased by 5-1 chance QUEEN TAMARA into the straight, looked in danger of being caught approaching the distance when Andrew Ramgeet mounted a challenge with QUEEN TAMARA at this stage.
But Hussey, mindful of what was at stake and riding as if his life depended on it, shook up his mount vigorously in true 'Bogle Man'-fashion, as TASSY'S WHIP found extra for a decisive win, her fourth from seven starts.
The winner's share of $564,000 enabled Haber (who is in Miami) to overtake Haloute, beating him by $292,000 in winning his first championship with $12.6 million.
Earlier, the Haloute-owned TWEEDSIDE with Harding astride produced a devastating stretch run to win the Rimsky Trophy supporting feature over the circular nine course in a driving finish from the 9-5 second choice I AM NOT ORDINDARY under Clive Lynch.
Tailed off in the nine-horse field passing the half mile and also entering the straight, as ABOUNDING GRACE made most, TWEEDSIDE was taken to the outside by Harding as track announcer Brian 'Spuddy' Rickman said he was going nowhere from an impossible position.
OTHER IDEAS
But Harding had other ideas. He conjured up a tremendous turn of foot from TWEEDSIDE to catch I AM NOT ORDINARY in the last two strides.
TWEEDSIDE (6-5) was one of seven favourites to score on a day when Harding (Tweedside, Goingtokansascity) and Ramgeet (Fromrusssiawithlove, The Squeeze) rode two winners each.
Dethroned champion 'Slicer' Simpson notched one win, this aboard odds-on favourite SPANISH FLEET in the opening race to mark his 100th win of the season. Harding won the title with 109 wins - nine clear of Simpson.
However, he was not the only new champion. Haber (owner), DaCosta (trainer) and the Orange Valley Estates Limited (breeders) also followed suit in 2005.
