Ainsley Walters, Staff ReporterCHAMPION SPRINTER I'MSATISFIED yesterday turned the table on his American-bred rival LIL' COUNTRY BOY, slamming the four-year-old gelding by two lengths in the 1,200-metre Abe Issa Memorial Trophy co-feature at Caymanas Park.
It was sweet revenge for the Philip Feanny-trained I'MSATISFIED, who was beaten by LIL' COUNTRY BOY when both horses met at 1,100 metres late last month. The additional half-furlong and one-kilo less carried by I'MSATISFIED was aided and abetted by apprentice Howard Newell swinging extremely wide off the home turn aboard LIL' COUNTRY BOY, who led from the start.
I'MSATISFIED, racing third into the lane with regular rider Winston Griffiths astride, took the shortest route off the turn and quickly disposed of MILLENIUM PRINCESS, who had gone second leaving the three. The big seven-year-old dark bay gelding then lengthened his strides to reel in LIL' COUNTRY BOY just inside the final furlong before quickening away for his 22nd career win in the silks of owner Joseph Duany.
HIT OVERDRIVE
LIL' COUNTRY BOY stayed on for second ahead of I'MSATIS-FIED's stablemate, HERECOMESFUDGIE, another Duany-owned runner, who failed to go the early pace and was closing as a team with I'MSATISFIED before the champion sprinter hit overdrive in the stretch run.
The day's twin co-features, the 1200-metre Hot Line and Sir Howard Stakes for three-year-olds, ended in mild upsets.
Trainer Percy Hussey's SEGA surprised punters in the Hot Line Stakes for fillies by swooping down on the battling pair of YAHABIBI and 2-5 favourite SEATTLE SUE off the home turn before powering away under Charles Hussey at odds of 5-1. SEATTLE SUE finished a length-and-a-half second and FLY WITH ME ran on from off the pace for third.
Jockey Shane Ellis enjoyed his best afternoon in the saddle since the start of the year, booting home a three-timer including trainer Richard Azan's 7-2 shot IRISH CREAM in the Sir Howard Stakes.
LATE NON-RUNNER
With second-choice RUN PAPA RUN declared a late non-runner after injuring himself at the gate and 1-2 favourite HEARTOFAMAVERICK reporting below his best off a three-month lay-up, IRISH CREAM went wire-to-wire to win by five lengths from the Husseys' EASTERN LIGHT, who tried to make a race of it in the stretch run, going past MUSIC MASTER, who chased to the top of the lane although jockey Clive Lynch had lost his stirrup from the gate.
Ellis' other winners on the 10-race card were EL BEAU in the second race and WIMBLEDON for Azan in the eighth. His three-timer moved him to 10 winners but still one short of leading rider Oneil Mullings, whose lone winner on the day was GO ON GO ON in the 1,000-metre straight sixth race.
Azan emerged the day's leading trainer with his double on an afternoon marked by one major upset, STAR OF THE MOMENT at 12-1 in the fifth. The six-year-old mare partnered by Larris Allen took charge of the 1,820-metre event from six furlongs out and matched strides with 2-1 second favourite MAHENDRA EXPRESS from the half-mile into the stretch run, where she rallied close home after being headed off inside the final furlong.
