Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Venom, ridden by champion jockey Brian Harding, streaks away from Celebration Time (Richie Mitchell) to win the sixth race over 1100 metres at Caymanas Park on Saturday. Harding had a second winner on the card in the 48-1 outsider Delrose in the closing race, at Caymanas Park. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CHAMPION JOCKEY Brian Harding experienced mixed fortunes at Caymanas Park on Saturday with two winners from nine rides on the 10-race programme, but still managed to ride one of the biggest outsiders of his career.
In the closing race for maiden three-year-olds over the straight five course, the lightly raced, but little fancied bay filly DELROSE surprised even Harding by winning at the gigantic odds of 48-1.
Owned by Fitzroy Hines and trained by Lechester Beech, DELROSE disputed the lead with another outsider, SONG BOOK (64-1), coming on to the main track. She surged ahead 300 metres out and kept on strongly for a shock win, scoring by a length from another outsider UCANDOIT (42-1) in a field of 13 native bred three-year-olds that have not finished better than fourth in any previous race.
Racing for only the third time and well beaten in her two previous starts, DELROSE had nothing to recommend. The daughter of Outrigger - Super Concorde was last seen on the exercise track May 29 and merely trotted that day. Yet, she defied all logic except for the fact that Harding was her rider.
These days, if Harding rode a nag, it is invariably backed down to favourite by punters. So, how come Delrose escaped such scrutiny?
This is the second time in recent weeks that the seven-time Trinidadian champion jockey was winning aboard an outsider. Remember the grey filly ALPHA LUPA at 15-1 in the L.C. McKenzie Memorial Cup on June 24?
DELROSE, however, is not the longest priced winner Harding has ridden locally. That distinction goes to the Trinidadian horse, MY FRIEND RICH, at 99-1 in the 1997 Red Stripe Superstakes, run on November 15 that year.
Significantly, MY FRIEND RICH failed by a nose to catch P.W.'s CHOICE, only to be awarded first place on the disqualification of the filly.
On Saturday, Harding also won aboard the even-money favourite, VENOM, in the sixth race to end the day on 49 wins, widening his lead to four over closest rivals, Charles Hussey and Wesley Henry in the jockeys' championship.
It was the general belief that he would have ridden four or five winners from his nine mounts. However, hot favourite SUN TANNED TOES ruined her chances by rearing at the start and was left with too much to do, while LA REINA and ESTOY LISTO both went down fighting in the third and ninth races, respectively.
