Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
POLISH MARKET is pushed out by jockey Paul 'Country' Francis to win yesterday's Caymanas Park feature race for the Aston Commock Memorial Trophy in impressive fashion. She was the 4-5 favourite. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
THE 4-5 favourite POLISH MARKET made short work of her opponents to win the Aston Commock Memorial Trophy feature by 6 1/4 lengths at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Contesting the restricted allowance IV (non-winners of three) over 1700 metres, POLISH MARKET, with in-form Paul Francis riding for veteran trainer Noel Ennevor, raced prominently in third as 10-1 shot ITALQUEEN led from the 80-1 outsider RAINBOW TRAIN in a field of 12.
She improved nicely into second approaching the half mile and went by ITALQUEEN leaving the 600-metre point, moving away in the straight to win impressively from 7-1, the grey HIGH GRADE under 57kg.
The apprentice-ridden SOY MUJER stayed on for third, another 1 3/4 lengths away, while highly fancied I AM PAID FOR (outpaced), the mount of five-time champion Trevor Simpson, finished a well beaten fourth.
Previous win
POLISH MARKET had previously won over this trip on April 17 when beating none other than HIGH GRADE by a nose. Bred by HAM Stables Limited, the 4-y-o bay filly by Market Rally out of Polish Corridor, is owned by Howard Hamilton who was not present at Caymanas Park to see her win, having left the island recently to attend the month-long race meet at Saratoga in upstate New York.
Meanwhile, Omar Walker had the distinction of being the first from the batch of new apprentices, who started riding yesterday, to ride a winner against senior jockeys when booting home 4-1 chance SUPER NATURAL for his apprentice master Wayne DaCosta in the fifth race (overnight allowance) over the straight five course.
Always prominent on the outside of the field, SUPER NATURAL outfinished the howling favourite ESTOY LISTO under champion jockey Brian Harding to win in a driving finish, the youngster looking very composed in the saddle throughout.
Walker's first win
Walker, 23, was among 12 apprentices from a batch of 15 which recently graduated from the Jockeys' School to ride for the first time. However, this was his first official winner, as he had previously booted home THE SEVENTH WAVE in a race for exercise riders last year and also won aboard SUNSHINE DANCER in a race confined to the Jockeys' School trainees in May.
Walker said his mentor is former champion Wesley 'Callaloo' Henry who, in addition to riding two winners on the card, was the first to congratulate the young rider.
Henry, who said he took an eight-day break to visit his family in Atlanta, Georgia, returning on Friday, booted home the 3-1 shots YYESSBABY and NIJINSKY'S WAR to reach 47 wins, three adrift of Harding who marked his 50th win of the season aboard ASKAWOMAN, who provided trainer Dwight Chen with his 100th career win.
Trainers DaCosta (Super Natural, Golden Leap), Richard Azan (Toot Di Hoot, Rampage) and Robert Darby Sr. (Yyessbaby and 11-1 chance QUICK MEDIC in the CTL Claiming series) shared the honours with two winners each.
