Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
GOOD COMPANY, ridden by Dane Nelson, returns to scale after winning the Joseph Ashenheim Memorial Bowl feature at Caymanas Park yesterday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
GOOD COMPANY made amends for his June 16 defeat as the even-money favourite with an impressive victory in yesterday's Caymanas Park feature race for the Joseph Ashenheim Memorial Bowl over 2000 metres, this for overnight allowance horses.
Installed a 6-5 favourite with Dane Nelson riding for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, GOOD COMPANY successfully challenged the leader ABENG (22-1) early in the straight and moved away to win by 5 1/2 lengths from 5-1 chance HERECOMESFUDGIE with apprentice Javour Simpson aboard.
PITTACUS, highly fancied at 3-1, stayed on mildly for third, another three-quarter length away, while SIMPLY-UNBELIEVABLE at 46-1 was fourth. SIR ROMEL (not eligible) was declared a late non-starter, reducing the field to eight.
It was HERECOMESFUDGIE who led passing the straight for the first time ahead of ABENG and GOOD COMPANY with PITTACUS not far behind in fourth.
HERECOMESFUDGIE was joined and passed by ABENG leaving the half mile but GOOD COMPANY quickly went in chase to turn for home almost alongside. He soon disposed of ABENG and drew right away approaching the distance for a facile victory, his second from eight starts this season.
Total Earnings
Owned jointly by Edison Chai, David Phillips and Dr. Francis Barnett who doubles as the breeder, GOOD COMPANY, a seven-year-old bay gelding by Pat N' Jac out of Pleasant Company, has now won 13 races from 64 starts lifetime with total earnings of $5.5 million.
He was clearly the best prepared horse in the field and duly atoned for his losing effort (fourth) behind NATURAL DESIRE over 1600 metres a month earlier when he reportedly spread a plate during the race.
DaCosta had a second winner on the nine-race programme when his three-year-old gelding NATURALLY ROYAL made most under the apprentice Omar Walker to win the opening 1600-metre race as the 1-9 favourite.
DaCosta started the day trailing leading trainer Phillip Feanny (who did not have a runner on the card) by $2.2 million bu slashing close to $500,000 from that amount, Feanny still continues to enjoy a clear lead in the standings.
On a day when the improving apprentice Rayan Wilson rode three winners, trainer Desmond Shand also saddled two winners comprising 4-5 favourite DANIELLE MY GIRL, who made all impressively under sparingly used Marklee Buchanan in the fifth race over 1400 metres for maidens, and even-money favourite WAGONIST in the sixth over the straight five course with title-chasing jockey Paul 'Country' Francis aboard.
Wilson, who is popularly called 'Chin', notched up his first three-timer and will no longer be eligible to claim 4kg but 3kg. His winners were LADY RAKWALAAY (2-1) in the third, AMERICAN DON (2-1) in the seventh and SONOFAMINISTER (8-5) in the ninth.
