Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

Simpson ...escaped injury.

THE 2-1 CHANCE DIESEL was rewarded for his consistency at Caymanas Park yesterday with a comfortable victory in the overnight allowance feature for the Merry Deal Cup over the straight five course.

While not taking anything away from DIESEL's win, the race was marred by a spill involving the winner's lesser fancied stable companion FIRE WORKS (5-1) leaving the quarter pole, decking title-chasing jockey Trevor Simpson in the process.

Both are owned by Knockout and trained by 14-time champion Philip Feanny.

FIRE WORKS, who was racing prominently at the time, snapped a foreleg and went down with Simpson passing the quarter pole, causing slight interference to the 3-2 favourite COMIN TRUE (who was racing in touch) in the process.

It was feared that Simpson was hurt when he lay motionless on the track before the ambulance rushed him to the first-aid post.

Though badly shaken up, Simpson escaped injury but was unable to honour his final ride, the Feanny-trained MALIKA (5-2) who finished second to stable companion FIRE D TRAINER (1-1 fav) in the closing straight five race with Paul 'Country' Francis deputising for Simpson.

Winless Wednesday

Simpson said: "I sustained a heavy fall but in the circumstances the safe thing to do was to lay motionless for a while as you never known if other horses are coming from well behind.

"Happily, I was not injured. This would have been a big setback for at this stage I believe I still have a shot in the jockeys' championship," added Simpson, who followed his fabulous four-timer last Saturday with a winless Wednesday.

This in the absence of leading jockey Brian Harding who is in Trinidad on personal business.

Harding left the island on Sunday and is due to resume riding on Saturday.

Gained ascendancy

DIESEL, ridden by apprentice Omar Walker, raced in touch on the far side as recent winner TOTAL MOTION (34-1) led on the outside, just ahead of highly fancied SUPER NATURAL (9-5) and DANCING SAM.

DIESEL gained the ascendancy ahead of SUPER NATURAL early in the last furlong and came away for a decisive win in a field of eight.

This was his first win in seven starts this season. He is a five-year-old chestnut gelding by Law Of The Sea out of Psyche, bred by Mark Azan.

On a day when leading apprentice Javour Simpson and trainer Gary Subratie chalked up two winners apiece, the straight five specialist SCOTCHONTHEROCKS (9-2) won the day's secondary feature for the Grooms' Association Trophy (claiming $350,000-$330,000) over the straight with former champion Wesley Henry riding for Subratie and owner Keith Duncan.

SCOTCHONTHEROCKS went by long-time leader SIMPLEXITY (3-1) in the last furlong to win by 2 3/4 lengths.