Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

THE LIGHTLY-RACED RANSOM MAN turned in a superlative performance at Caymanas Park yesterday to win the 86th Digicel Jamaica Derby by the resounding margin of 9 1/4 lengths.

Offering odds of 9-2 with champion jockey Brian Harding aboard, RANSOM MAN went by the leaders ALLIEDFORCE, MY LEGACY and HIDALGO at the final bend to give his Trinidadian rider his first Derby winner locally and also a first for his previously unheralded trainer, Eraldo Fullerton.

For Fullerton, who controls a small string of horses, winning the derby with RANSOM MAN surpassed even a king's ransom.

The past student of Boys' Town and St. Andrew Technical not only upstaged big trainers such as reigning champion Wayne DaCosta and 14-time champion Philip Feanny in winning his first major race, but put himself on the map by virtue of this fantastic training feat.

NO FLUKE

According to Fullerton, it was no fluke, but moreso achieved by hard work, patience and meticulous planning.

"After his good second to Alliedforce in the Governor's Cup, I knew he would report an even better horse for the derby," said Fullerton.

"In fact, he was the best prepared horse coming into the race and the stable was always confident of this victory ... Let Jah be praised", declared the elated trainer who obtained a licence in 1998.

RANSOM MAN was never far off the pace in the field of 13 native-bred three-year-olds as the Feanny-trained filly MYLEGACY, a 99-1 outsider, made most ahead of her more fancied stable-companion CLASSY BOY PETE (7-2) under five-time Trevor Simpson, followed by PRINCE OF LAW (24-1), the Wayne DaCosta-trained HIDALGO (4-1) with leading jockey Charles Hussey astride, the 9-5 marginal favourite ALLIEDFORCE under leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths and 2000 Guineas winner RAMPAGE (9-5) with Florida-based Jamaican jockey Allen Maragh aboard.

But RANSOM MAN got into high gear leaving the half mile and by the time they galloped towards the final bend, none was travelling better. He disposed of the leaders entering the straight and quickly turned it into a procession, covering the distance in the fairly good time of 2:35.1.

HIDALGO kept on well to finish second, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of the Oneil Mullings-ridden MYLEGACY who ran way above herself in finishing third as the rank outsider. The Noel Ennevor-trained ALLIEDFORCE, who had every chance turning for home, faltered in the straight and ended up in fourth spot.

Purchased for the modest price of $470,000 at the 2004 yearling sale, RANSOM MAN, who was unraced as a two-year-old, notched his second win from six starts. The 3-y-o bay gelding by Ghost Ransom out of the Wise Emissary mare Dame O'Mandy is owned by Darrington Ferguson, groomed by Stanford Russell and was bred by Dr. Patrick Graham.

The gelding's next big assignment is the July 1 Jamaica St. Leger, the season's final classic, over 2000 metres. This vastly improved racer is already the ante-post favourite to follow up.

Meanwhile, the island's top sprinter QUIET STRENGTH (4-5 fav) rebounded nicely under top weight of 60.5kg to win the $1.35 million Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes over 1300 metres for top-class horses, holding on by half a length from the fast-finishing 5-2 shot FORMALLY GOLD in a field of five.

Ridden as usual by 'Fanna' Griffiths for Lakeland Farms and Feanny, the talented American four-year-old colt has now won eight of his last nine races.