Orville Clarke , Freelance Writer
SOPHIA, REPORTING from a nine-month absence in good nick, made all to win the mile and quarter co-feature for the Glen T. Williamson in a driving finish from highly-fancied HEY TRAIN at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Ridden by lightweight apprentice Carlton Malcolm for owners S.A.S. Syndicate and trainer Gary Subratie, SOPHIA (6-1) was in the lead early from the rank outsider WEE GLITZ and BORN FIGHTER as they thundered past the stands for the first time in the restricted allowance III race (non-winners of three).
Holding the lead ahead of the well-backed ROYAL MAJESTY and the even-money favourite RANSOM MAN passing the half mile, SOPHIA turned for home (wide) seemingly under pressure from HEY TRAIN (inside) and RANSOM MAN. However, she rallied strongly throughout the last furlong to win by a length from the Larris Allen-ridden HEY TRAIN (3-1) with last year's Derby winner RANSOM MAN close up in a field of 10.
Decisive wins
Later in the afternoon, the highly strung grey filly PAGEE PRINCESS (2-1 fav) won the Flossie McNeil Memorial Cup co-feature (non-winners of two) for native bred three-year-old fillies over 1200 metres in decisive fashion, with visiting Canadian-based Jamaican jockey Kirk Johnson astride.
Always prominent as highly fancied POWERFUL PROSPECT (5-2) led under pressure from THANKSWITHASMILE (5-1), PAGEE PRINCESS came through on entering the straight to win by 3 1/2 lengths from the fast-finishing 7-2 shot RIGGED TO WIN in a field of 10.
About 40 metres after passing the winning post, PAGEE PRINCESS stumbled badly and dislodged her rider and then ran loose. Johnson escaped unscratched.
Owned by HSV, PAGEE PRINCESS is trained by Spencer Chung who leaves the island today for Puerto Rico to prepare the Philip Feanny-trained RUM TALK for the December 2 Caribbean Classic in the absence of Feanny.
On a day when ENDURING (13-1) with leading jockey Omar Walker and ROAD BLOCK (16-1) ridden by 58-year-old veteran Cornal Hall provided the upsets, it turned out to be a tough day for form players. Significantly, Hall, the oldest jockey still active in the saddle, marked his first winner in 10 years.
