- IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
JEDI ROCKET, ridden by Andron Findley, sprints clear of rivals to win Wednesday's 1000-metre straight eighth race at Caymanas Park.
Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter
BUTCHER MAN should make amends at 1800 metres in Race Four of the Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) Claiming Series, this afternoon's feature event at Caymanas Park.
Burdened with topweight 57.0 kilos last time out, BUTCHER MAN made a gallant attempt at 1000 metres straight in the last Series race.
Champion jockey Trevor Simpson tried his best, but the nine-year-old gelding got rolling too late with the big weight and just failed to nail the battling lightweights, MOTHER OF PEARL and LADY SOLO, who were separated by a nose at the wire, with BUTCHER MAN storming home a half-length away under the stands' side.
Kept on ice by Fong since that run, BUTCHER MAN, who has already won five of 14 starts this season, will report fresh as a daisy and will only have back-to-form JIG YOUNG to fear.
JIG YOUNG steps up in class after posting back-to-back wins on $160,000 tags, but has sufficient back class to call on.
In addition, the Delroy Waugh-trained runner returns treated with lasix, hunting his third win in less than a month.
GOOD JOB
Robert Stewart has so far done a good job aboard JIG YOUNG at 2000 and 1400 metres respectively and will ensure BUTCHER MAN is kept honest every yard of the way.
However, Fong's runner had stamped his class on JIG YOUNG in August, beating Waugh's runner by almost nine lengths at 1400 metres and will be tough to beat with Robinson slipping two kilos for good measure.
Having already wrapped up the first half of the Series, Fong sends BUTCHER MAN to post for Race Four in the six-race Series as a warm ante-post favourite.
With only two races left in the Series, a win for BUTCHER MAN would move Fong to an unassailable 58 points in the trainers' category.
Versatile BUTCHER MAN has already earned 38 points for Fong in three races, pushing him 18 points clear of Louis Richards.
BUTCHER MAN won at 1200 metres in August before finishing third in a three-way photo at 1000 metres straight last month.
Jockey Kerry-Gayl Robinson, who won aboard BUTCHER MAN in August, shares 21 points in the Series with Wesley Henry and has been retained by Fong to hunt the bonus cash incentive for themselves and owner Jelf Gray.
