RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE BARBARIAN (right), with Trevor Simpson in the saddle, winning yesterday's eighth race over 1000m straight at Caymanas Park. The nine-year-old gelding by Exotic Traveller Sweet Ruckus won ahead of the favourite QUEEN AIR (left, Charles Hussey) and RAGING STORM (centre) with Percy Williams up.
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
HIDALGO DULY justified favouritism at Caymanas Park yesterday with a narrow victory in the Mercury Sprint for native-bred maiden three-year-old colts and geldings over the straight five course.
Installed a 3-5 favourite in a field of seven, HIDALGO, with four-time champion jockey Charles Hussey aboard, won by a neck from 8-1 chance SUMMER WIND under dethroned champion jockey Trevor Simpson.
In third place, a farther 2 1/2 lengths away, was the 9-5 second favourite WAR LEGEND, while disappointing a bit in fourth was the highly-fancied debutante CLASSY BOY PETE (3-1), who passed through the ring for the record price of $2 million in the 2004 yearling sale.
GOOD EARLY SPEED
CLASSY BOY PETE actually showed good early speed after angling out to the stands' side from early, but was closely followed by HIDALGO and WAR LEGEND on the far side with SUMMER WIND and AWESOME DOT racing in touch.
HIDALGO quickened into the lead leaving the quarter pole, but had to be driven out by Hussey in the last furlong to stave off pesky SUMMER WIND from the Kenneth Mattis stables, winning in a time of 1:01.0.
The bay gelding by Law Of The Sea out of Code Star, who raced in the silks of champion owner Alexander Haber, notched his first win on his second outing, having finished second to his heavily-backed stable companion WILD AT HEART over the straight on January 21.
Later in the afternoon, DaCosta had a second winner in the American 4-y-o colt CHADMAN in the restricted stakes over 1400 metres, the son of Concerto also scoring for the first time.
PUSHED OUT
Never far off the paces, SILVER PEN made most ahead of IMMANUEL AND KATIE, CHADMAN went by the latter early in the straight but had to be pushed out by former champion jockey Wesley 'Callaloo' Henry to beat her by 1 1/4 lengths in the somewhat pedestrian time of 1:29.1.
This was the identical time returned by TIGERINTHEWOODS who romped the seventh race for $240,000 - $220,000 claimers with Oneil Mullings riding for Brazilonia and improving trainer Donovan Bruce.
DaCosta leads the standings with 10 wins and $2.78 million in stakes, while Hussey and Henry, both with a winner apiece, are joint leaders in the jockeys standings with nine winners.
Consistent BANJUHAR (5-2), ridden by former champion Percy Williams for owner/trainer Richard Azan, romped the closing overnight allowance race over the circular nine course. The 6-y-o gelding successfully challenged the leaders at the final bend to win by 7 3/4 lengths from Simpson's mount ALPHA LUPA (4-1) in a field of 10.
HARMONICS at 10-1 in the fifth race was the only notable upset on the nine-race programme.
One of two winners for most improved rider of 2005 nominee Dal Brown, HARMONICS is trained by Desmond Shand who posted two winners on Wednesday last.
