Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
RUM TALK, with Charles Hussey aboard, cruises to victory in yesterday's Jamaica St. Leger at Caymanas Park.

Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

THE 2000 Guineas winner RUM TALK, responding to a bustling ride from 'Hall of Fame' jockey Charles Hussey, turned the tables on his Derby conqueror to win the season's final classic, the Jamaica St. Leger, over 2000 metres in fine style at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Owned by Stephen and Valentine Chung along with Clovis Metcalf, bred by Henry Jaghai and trained by 14-time champion Philip Feanny, RUM TALK was installed second favourite at evens for this the 81st running of the race and, in the end, the bay colt by Royal Minister out of Good As Gold stormed through on the rails leaving the furlong pole to win by 4 1/2 from 4-5 favourite THE BOMBER under leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths.

Unbeaten in three starts

THE BOMBER, who is trained by ex-jockey Patrick 'Wacky' Lynch, was unbeaten in three starts before the St. Leger.

In third place, a farther three-quarters of a length away, was the Anthony 'Baba' Nunes-trained MUCHO GUSTO (9-2) under champion jockey Brian Harding who was flown in from his base in Trinidad specifically for the ride. Harding, champion jockey in 2005 and 2006, was riding for the first time at Caymanas Park this year, having decided to ply his trade full time in Trinidad where he is the leading jockey with 38 wins from 18 race days.

THE BOMBER, as he did in the Derby, led from the start but briefly gave way to 64-1 outsider IVAN THE TERRIBLE on the inside passing the winning post for the first time. But THE BOMBER quickly reasserted his authority to regain the lead leaving the clubhouse turn at which stage MUCHO GUSTO moved ahead of IVAN THE TERRIBLE with RUM TALK some six lengths off the pace in fourth as they turned into the backstretch.

But unlike his passage in the Derby, THE BOMBER was not allowed to settle on the lead as Harding aboard MUCHO GUSTO was hell bent on keeping him honest, stalking him by a length or two to the final bend.

Confident of victory

Both played into the hands of RUM TALK who, after turning for home some three lengths adrift of THE BOMBER in third, responded nicely to a vigorous right-hand stick from Hussey to sweep through on the inside early in the last furlong after which the issue was never in doubt.

Hussey, who was seen jogging on the spot outside the Jockeys' Room an hour or so prior to the race, said he was always confident of winning his third St. Leger.

"Anything they did today I would have won. I had been working with this horse for the past four weeks and anything I asked him to do, he was equal to the task," said the four-time champion jockey.

On a day when Feanny and Gary Subratie saddled three winners each and Trevor Simpson assumed the lead in the jockey' standings by virtue of a three-timer, moving to 34, the Dwight Chen-trained MUSICAL MAESTRO (Simpson up) disposed of long-time leader and 4-5 favourite CLOCKWORK to win the She's On Wheels Trophy grade one sprint over 1100 metres, while Harding rode his first winner this year aboard 5-1 shot UNKNOWN VARIABLE for Gary Subratie in the overnight allowance race.