Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

BLOW WIND BLOW (Omar Walker, right) holding on by a short head to beat RAINBOW TRAIN (Douglas Badaloo) in yesterday's Altamont V. Armond feature over 2000m at Caymanas Park. The winner is owned by The Hustler and trained by Neville Cooper.Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Evens favourite BLOW WIND BLOW survived a late run from the highly fancied RAINBOW TRAIN to win yesterday's mile and quarter feature for the Altamont V. Armond Memorial Cup by a short head at Caymanas Park.

The first of two winners for 3.0kg claiming apprentice Omar Walker, BLOW WIND BLOW bided his time just off the early pace in third as SATISFIER (5-2) and LATIN KING (7-2) hooked up on the leader from soon after the start.

He surged past the battling leaders leaving the half mile and although looking to have the race at his mercy entering the straight, slowed down in the last 100 metres and just had enough to withstand the closing rush of RAINBOW TRAIN with Douglas Badaloo astride. ME LLAMO was declared a late non-starter reducing the field to six, while SOY MUJER (9-2) swerved out leaving the starting gate, dislodging jockey Devon A. Thomas in the process.

previous win

BLOW WIND BLOW is owned by the Hustler and trained by Neville Cooper. Bred by Edgar Llewellyn, the 7-y-o bay gelding by Arabica out of the With The Wind mare Stormy Weather had previously won over 1800 metres on October 25.

With the four top jockeys from last year - Brian Harding (back in Trinidad), Wesley Henry (off the island), Trevor Simpson (suspended) and Charles Hussey (cooling out) absent from the saddle, it was left to the apprentice riders to dominate the action, even though former champion Emilio 'Bimbo' Rodriquez and Oneil Mullings rode two winners each.

In addition to BLOW WIND BLOW, Walker had a second winner in the 17-1 outsider SANKOFA who ran on strongly to overhaul the even-money favourite YOSHI (Shane Ellis up) in the closing stages of the sixth race over 1100 metres.

Champion apprentice Carlton Malcolm also had a long priced winner in 20-1 chance NUMERO UNO in the 10th race over 1400 metres for overnight allowance horses. The five-year-old gelding went wire to wire, but in the end just held on from the fast-finishing but luckless 7-1 chance SHIVOYNE, running on strongly on the inside after not getting a clear run on the rails, finishing a nose ahead of the 4-5 favourite CALABASH BAY with Rodriquez up.

NUMERO UNO is owned by Keith Duncan, bred by Henry Jaghai and trained by Gary Subratie who is off the island. In his absence the 5-y-o gelding by Sir Lal Bahadur - Private Number was saddled by the assistant trainer and Gordon Lewis.

Apprentices Jason and Javour Simpson also got among the winners, the latter booting home the Dennis Lee-trained 3-5 favourite SIR KHAN to a hat-trick of runaway wins in the space of a fortnight.

Despite the two upsets, the $4.4 million Super-6 was caught by five punters, each receiving $881,186.50. However, the Pick-9 proved elusive once again and the carryover to next Saturday stands at a whopping $8 million.