Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Closing widest of all in deep stretch, the 23-1 outsider ALPHA LUPA got up in the nick of time to score an upset win in the inaugural running of the Worldphone Cup (overnight allowance) over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Trained by Anthony 'Baba' Nunes for his wife Tara, the American 4-y-o grey filly provided new apprentice Oral Bennett with his first career win.
A recent graduate of the Jockeys' School, Bennett, 25, began riding on the previous Saturday and became the third apprentice from the batch of 15 to have ridden winners, behind Omar Walker with two winners and Kevin Blake, one.
Outpaced from early in the 15-strong field as TASSY'S WHIP (27-1) led early before giving way to the apprentice ridden PRECOCIOUS MISS D (4-1) on the rails, ALPHA LUPA still had a lot to do when turning for home (wide) several lengths adrift of PRECOCIOUS MISS D and the highly fancied pair of DIGI N' JIGGY (3-1) and CHOSEN ONE (7-2) under title-chasing jockeys Charles Hussey and Trevor Simpson, at which stage winner's stable-companion and 2-1 favourite DIGI N' JIGGY was outpaced.
DIGI N' JIGGY eventually went by PRECOCIOUS MISS D a furlong out, but CHOSEN ONE and ALPHA LUPA started to close strongly as a team with ALPHA LUPA gaining the ascendancy in the last 50 metres to win by three-quarter length, with DIGI N' JIGGY close up in third.
chosen one disqualified
Following a Stewards' Inquiry, CHOSEN ONE was disqualified and placed out of the frame for causing interference to BANJUHAR shortly after the start and DIGI N' JIGGY awarded second and the well-backed PASSA PASSA (9-2), third.
Bennett was naturally elated in riding his first winner, and said he rode the filly to instructions. "I broke her sharply from the outside post position and raced her wide as instructed. I got her rolling leaving the half mile and although I still had several lengths to make up at the home turn, she responded best of all in the straight," said the apprentice.
A second apprentice, Andre Martin, passed the post first aboard 5-2 chance MY PAL DON n the sixth race over 1400 metres for $160,000 conditional claimers, only to be disqualified following a stewards inquiry for causing interference to OUTSWINGER on the inside approaching the home turn.
Although it was a hard blow to Martin, who at 17 is the youngster from the new batch, he was encouraged and reminded by trainer Welsh Soutar that leading all-timer jockey Winston 'Fanna' Griffiths also lost his first winner in the Stewards' Room in 1975.
Wesley Henry (51 wins) rode one winner to assume the lead from Brian Harding in the jockeys standings, but Richie Mitchell and Paul 'Country' Francis rode two each, while trainers Paul Smith and Desmond Shand shared two each.
