By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterCHAMPION JOCKEY Trevor Simpson upstaged his peers at Caymanas Park yesterday with three winners on the nine-race programme, among them his 50th of the season.
Simpson, who is popularly called 'Slicer', was at his brilliant best aboard the 9-5 second favourite METEOR MAN who captured the day's principal feature over 1800m for the Zaleucus Trophy (open allowance), this after a prolonged last furlong duel with the 3-5 favourite THE MINISTER under four-time champion Charles Hussey.
His other winners were REJECT at 7-5 in the first race over 1500 metres for $390,000-$330,000 claimers and stable companion AFFIRMATION, a 3-5 favourite, in the eighth race over 1100 metres for $260,000-$220,000 claimers to finish the day on 51 winners six clear of closest rival Shane Ellis who rode two winners in 3-1 chance FORSETI and EL BEAU at 5-1 in the Henry George Harrison Snr. Memorial Cup over 1300 metres.
Both REJECT and AFFIRMATION are conditioned by Richie Todd, the season's leading trainer with most wins (38).
METEOR MAN was ridden to lead from early in the Zaleucus Trophy but was soon joined by the fleet-footed filly MILLENIUM PRINCESS whose task was apparently to keep him honest on the lead for stable companion THE MINISTER during the first half of the race.
Both raced five lengths clear of THE MINISTER in third but when METEOR MAN shook clear of MILLENIUM PRINCESS leaving the half mile, Hussey asked his mount to advance into second leaving the 600-metre pole.
SIMPSON SLIPS THROUGH
METEOR MAN turned for home (wide) with THE MINISTER breathing down his neck on the outside. Both galloped towards the furlong pole on level terms but Simpson went into his bag of tricks at this stage, angling out his mount to meet the challenge of THE MINISTER in mid-track, before applying the right hand stick on rapid, enabling METEOR MAN to win by a head.
QUICK MEDIC was scratched at the start, reducing the field to five.
METEOR MAN is owned by Alexander Haber and trained by reigning champion Wayne DaCosta.
Later in the afternoon, EL BEAU ran on strongly on the inside from off the pace to beat 3-5 favourite JERICHO by 1 3/4 lengths in the Restricted Allowance V for the Henry George Harrison Cup in memory of the late trainer who was affectionately called 'Rigg'.
