Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

RIO INFINITO is driven out by champion apprentice Carlton Malcolm as she disposes of long-time leader JAZZY JET (Wesley Henry) to win the Hot Line Stakes over 1200 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. Offering odds of 6-1, the 3-y-o filly is owned by Oakridge Farms and trained by Gary Subratie.- - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

CHAMPION APPRENTICE Carlton Malcolm highlighted yesterday's Caymanas Park nine-race programme with three winners, including 6-1 chance RIO INFINITO in the Hot Line Stakes over 1200 metres for native-bred three-year-old fillies.

The 26-year-old rider also won aboard 9-2 shot LITTLE SNOW JOHN for trainer Otis Burke in the second race over 1500m and GRACE MARIE (3-1) for trainer Barry Dawes in the seventh. It was his second three-timer this season.

Settled just off the early pace in third as JAZZY JET (5-1) under former champion jockey Wesley Henry led under pressure from highly fancied RAGING FURY (3-1), RIO INFINITO turned for home within striking distance of the two leaders. With JAZZY JET disposing of RAGING FURY approaching the distance, it was left to RIO INFINITO on the outside to carry the fight. Set alight by Malcolm in mid-stretch, the bay filly by Al's River Cat out of the Peacemaker mare Infinity closed in sharply on JAZZY JET, responding nicely to a flaying left-hand stick to sweep past her midway through the last furlong, winning by 2 3/4 lengths.

The trick

JAZZY JET was three lengths clear of RAGING FURY who faded into third. Bred by the Orange Valley Estates Limited, RIO INFINITO, who was scoring for the second time from five starts, is owned by Oakridge Farms and trained by last season's 'Most Improved' trainer Gary Subratie, who felt the administration of Lasix for this race did the trick.

"She bled when finishing fourth to Rum Talk when last raced in mid-December, so I had her scoped and trained her specifically for this race with Lasix," Subratie said. "She worked well last Sunday morning and showed me that she was ready to win again. I was pretty confident and Malcolm rode a perfect race," said Subratie who won the same race last year with KYSHA BABY.

The big disappointment was the performance of the howling 2-5 favourite SO BLESSED who finished a floundering last in the eight-strong field. Ridden by leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths for trainer Philip Feanny, this half sister to the reigning 'Horse of the Year' MIRACLE MAN was not the best away from the number one post position and although mending sufficiently into fourth leaving the half mile, found nil after getting the rail run into the straight.

SO BLESSED was only one of several red hot favourites to falter on the nine-race programme. The others included SUPER NATURAL in the fourth, YOSHI in the fifth, CAPTAIN BONE in the sixth, this after dropping from overnight allowance company to a lowly $160,000 tag in the space of three weeks, and TAKE FIVE in the seventh.

Indeed, the only winning favourite was the Desmond Shand-trained TIME OF MY LIFE (2-5) who went wire-to-wire under Clive Lynch in the third race over 1100m. MANISH at 8-1 and RIO INFINITO created mild upsets, as the Pick-9 again eluded players.

As a result, the carryover to the Ash Wednesday meet stands at $3.2 million.