Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Martin ... rode Hombre home to victory yesterday. - file

THE STEWARDS were on the warpath at Caymanas Park yesterday, disqualifying two winners on the nine-race programme.

The first came in the sixth race over 1100-metres where first past the post, NIKITIS - from the Eddie Hamilton stables, was disqualified and placed second - and the race awarded to 2-1 chance LEAVE ME ALONE.

NIKITIS, a chance ride for Patrick Henry Jr, raced close up into the straight and eventually went by leader THREE GOOD FRIENDS early in the last furlong. At this stage LEAVE ME ALONE began to close in the middle under veteran jockey Everton Miller, but NIKITIS ran down off a true line, causing interference to LEAVE ME ALONE who recovered to finish 2 1/4 lengths second.

Heavyweight

Following a stewards' inquiry and objection from the owner of LEAVE ME ALONE, their positions were reversed. The Gary Griffiths-trained LEAVE ME ALONE provided sparingly-used heavyweight jockey 'Killer' Miller with his first winner in four and a half years. His previous winner was SUPREME POWER in Feb-ruary, 2004.

Later in the afternoon, the closing race over the straight to be exact, the stewards struck again, this time axing the 9-2 winner SHADOWS.

The four-year-old filly. who made all under the apprentice Oral Bennett, ran down sharply in the lead passing the quarter pole, cutting the throat of 7-5 favourite LADY PARBATTIE in the process.

Inquiry

Following a lengthy stewards' inquiry, along with an objection by the second against the winner, the Robert Darby Sr-trained SHADOWS was disqualified and placed second and the race awarded to LADY PARBATTIE, ridden by Andron Findley for trainer Morris Powell.

Meanwhile, HOMBRE, highly fancied at 2-1, got up on the line (rails) to pip the 37-1 outsider FIRST LADY (Shane Ellis) by a nose in the 1200-metre feature for the Royal Crest Trophy, this for three-year-olds and up.

HOMBRE, who raced prominently into the straight as I'M MAGIC and FIRST LADY alternated in the lead, was ridden by the apprentice Andre Martin for owner Wessel G. Burnett and veteran trainer Noel Ennevor.

The 2-1 marginal favourite, THE QUEEN, finished close up in third as a chance ride for Paul Francis. Nine ran.