Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

HARDING

IN A needle finish, BANJUHAR responded to a powerful ride from champion jockey Brian Harding to win the high claiming feature for the Cecil C. Charlton Trophy over 1300 metres by a short head from 17-1 outsider LE CHIC.

Installed a 7-5 favourite in the eight-strong field, BANJUHAR found himself badly outpaced in last position early as the fleet-footed TIME OF MY LIFE (4-1) led from pesky outsider DEARDREAMER and highly fancied LIGHTENING ALLEY (2-1) in the backstretch.

TIME OF MY LIFE was still in front leaving the furlong pole when the pair of LE CHIC and BANJUHAR began to close in rapidly along with the well-backed SIR KHAN (2-1) on the outside. They were virtually four across the track midway through the last furlong when LE CHIC and BANJUHAR came through as a team with BANJUHAR on the inside gaining the ascendancy within shades of the wire.

Although left with a lot to do entering the straight, Harding felt the speedsters would burn themselves out and the pace would come back.

"When I asked him to change gears from early in the straight he began to pick off rivals in a flash and I knew I had them in the closing stages," explained the seven-time Trinidadian champion jockey who, though having only one winner on the card, extended his lead in the jockeys' championship over closest rival Wesley Henry who failed to ride a winner.

Harding pushed his season's tally to 68, leaving Henry stranded on 60 and Trevor Simpson on 54.

A six-year-old bay gelding by Pat N' Jac out of Alejandra, BANJUHAR, who was claimed for $410,000 by trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes immediately after the race, was saddled by Dwight Chen in the colours of Hopeton K. Dreckette.

Seniore riders upstaged

On a day when the Simpsons - jockey Trevor Simpson and the apprentice riders Javour Simpson and Jason Simpson - accounted for four winners on the card, the senior riders were upstaged by the recent Jockeys' School riders who continued to impress racing fans.

Javour Simpson rode back-to-back winners, PETITE DIVA (5-1) and THE MAGICIAN (9-5) in the third and fourth races respectively, fellow apprentice Jason Simpson chipped in with 9-5 favourite ITALQUEEN in the sixth and the promising Andre Martin won aboard 4-1 chance MARKET DAZZLE in the eighth.

Champion trainer Wayne DaCosta posted two winners in odds-on favourite ROBIN'S BAY under Trevor Simpson in the second and American-bred SKYWAY EXPRESS (5-1) who made all under Charles Hussey, holding on by a short head from his more fancied stable-companion HIDALGO over 1400 metres.