Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

RANK OUTSIDER LADY T and highly fancied RUM TALK, both coming from off the pace, won the Jamaica Licensed Bookmakers 1000 and 2000 Guineas, the season's first classics, over 1600 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.

In the 1000 Guineas for native-bred three-year-old fillies, LADY T, running at the gigantic odds of 71-1 with jockey Ian 'Dolly Baby' Spence riding for trainer Dwight Chen, scored a shock win in a maximum field of 16.

Held up in sixth position as RAGING FURY (23-1) led in tearaway fashion from the Allen Maragh-ridden RIO INFINITO (7-2) and the 3-2 favourite FIRST PRINCESS under Charles Hussey, LADY T came down smoothy leaving the half mile to turn for home just off the pace in third, as RIO INFINITO struck the front.

She caught up with RIO INFINITO midway through the last furlong and moved away in a flash to beat her by 1 3/4 lengths.

The winner, a lightly raced bay filly by Natural Selection out of the Exotic Traveler mare Tantrum, is owned by the Western Syndicate and bred by Joseph and Shirley McKessy.

Rushed through glass door

Chen, who was saddling his first classic winner, became so excited after the race that he rushed through a glass door in the CTL Racing Office, where he watched the race, injuring his left hand. Despite sustaining minor cuts as a result, Chen was over the moon and hailed the jockey for riding a perfect race.

"I told him to relax her in the early stages if he hoped to have a chance and come the last two. And this paid off handsomely," said Chen.

Spence was quick to add: "I knew she would win from 1 1/2-furlong out ... She responded well to the left-hand stick and that was that."

Later in the afternoon, RUM TALK (5-2) was brought with a terrific stretch run on the outside by five-time champion jockey Trevor Simpson to win the 2000 Guineas for colts and geldings, this by 1 1/4 lengths from the 8-5 favourite MUCHO GUSTO (prominent) who assumed the lead from TOOT DI HOOT (27-1) and RUN ALDEENO (12-1) in mid-stretch, but found the winner too strong in the last 100 metres.

RUN ALDEENO was third of the 14 starters, while BLUE MAGIC (3-1), a stable-companion of the winner, could count himself unlucky when running into the rear of TOOT DI HOOT on the inside and had to be snatched up when full of running early in the straight.

A bay colt by Footloose II out of Good As Gold, RUM TALK, who was voted the champion two-year-old of last season, is trained by 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny for owners Stephen and Valentine Chung and Clovis Metcalf.