Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

MUSICAL MAESTRO, running as the 6-5 favourite with in-form jockey Dane Nelson aboard, outclassed rivals to win the sixth running of the $1 million open allowance feature for the Betting, Gaming & Lotteries Commission (BG&LC) Trophy over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Owned by Hamark Farms and trained by Dwight Chen, MUSICAL MAESTRO had to be driven out after taking over the lead approaching the distance to win by 1-1/4 lengths from the fast-finishing ACCOMPONG (8-1) under Paul Francis.

In third place another length away was hat-trick seeker MUCHO GUSTO (7-1), the mount of champion jockey Omar Walker, while fourth went to long-time leader GOOD CITIZEN at 7-2. Ten ran.

Home turn

Fresh from his recent disqualification, MUSICAL MAESTRO raced prominently in fifth as the lightly-weighted GOOD CITIZEN led from FIRST IN THE SAND, TOBAGO and MUCHO GUSTO.

Taking closer order approaching the home turn, MUSICAL MAESTRO came through on the inside to assume the lead from GOOD CITIZEN approaching the distance, holding on well for a decisive win under top weight of 57.0 kg.

"I was pretty confident of winning the race for the second year in a row," disclosed Nelson, who won aboard CHADMAN last year.

"Musical Maestro was the class horse in the field... I knew that if I broke him sharply and held a good position into the straight, there was no way he was going to lose against these horses."

MUSICAL MAESTRO, the reigning champion sprinter, notched his first win from four starts this season and his 15th from 39 career starts, with stakes of over $7.5 million. The six-year-old chestnut gelding by Royal Minister out of the 1994 1000 Guineas winner, Melissa's Song, was bred by Victor McFarlane.

Nelson, who has been holding his form really well since his split with champion trainer Wayne DaCosta early last month, booted home three winners on the card to hold down second in the standings with 63 winners - 24 adrift of champion jockey Omar Walker, who rode only one winner on the card.

Three winners

Significantly, Nelson also rode three winners at the corresponding meet (Emancipation Day) last year, including the 17-1 outsider CHADMAN and JET BLASTER, who won again yesterday, this time over 1300 metres with Phillip Clunis aboard.

JET BLASTER (9-2) ran on strongly to catch long-time leader BLUE MARLIN (10-1) in the final stride, landing the Emancipation Day Trophy (claiming $470,000-$410,000) for owner Baldwin Hue and trainer Anthony Ferguson.

Another in-form jockey, Oneil Mullings, also rode three winners to share the spotlight with Nelson. His winners were POWERFUL PROSPECT at 2-1 in the fifth, GAMBOA at 4-1 in the sixth and MISS TWIST at 5-1 in the eighth.

In other trophy races, MR. BUTCHER (2-1) made all convincingly to win the Charles Randle Trophy over 1820 metres, with MISS TWIST lifting the Albert Rose Memorial Cup.