Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterKNOCKING at the door, CHUCKY came good in the mud at Caymanas Park yesterday to win the straight five claiming race ($200,000 - $180,000) for the Grooms' Association Trophy, this at odds of 7-1.
But it wasn't child's play for the four-year-old son of Studdish out of the Let's get Physical mare Princess Ellen.
In-form Panamanian jockey Ameth Robles had to pull out all the stops to bring home CHUCKY by a neck from 5-2 second favourite LEGIONAIR in the field of 11.
It was the lightweight LEGIONAIR under apprentice Kerry Perry who led in the centre of the track from the grey HAWK DEH NEAR on the far side, CHUCKY, QUEEN MAJESTY on the far side and 4-5 favourite DANCE WITH THE CAT not far off.
LEGIONAR came on to the main rack full of running, but by then CHUCKY was beginning to find his best strides in mid-track and drew upsides as they passed the 200-metre pole.
However, he had to be driven out to gain the ascendancy from a very game LEGIONAIR midway the last furlong.
Meanwhile, the Grooms' Association Day programme featured the CTL Grooms' Riders Race contested by $100,000 claimers over 800 metres straight, this run in two divisions.
The fleet-footed straight specialist WILD TRAVELLER was installed a 7-5 favourite under Dermot Dawkins and duly made all on the far side to win easily. Owned and trained by Norman Rose, WILD TRAVELLER led home 13-1 chance KAZETO by 2 1/2 lengths with 9-5 second favourite CRIMSON TIDE finishing third in the 12-strong field.
In Division II, another course specialist, JUST DO IT (10-1) , ridden by Michael Brown, also went wire to wire for an upset win.
The seven-year-old mare by Secret out of Star Of Bagdad won by 1 1/2 lengths from 25-1 chance LAST DESIRE. JUST DO IT is owned by Paul G. Chalmers and trained by Errol Subratie.
On a day when the groom of every winning horse received a bicycle donated by Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), the outstanding performance was turned in by the two-year-old debutant DIM SUM in the eighth race for maidens over the straight five course.
Installed a 7-5 favourite with Charles Hussey up, the handsome bay colt by Al's River Cat out of Our Pavlova made most in mid-track to win by three lengths in the good time of 59.0 despite being eased down by Hussey in the last 200 metres.
Yesterday also saw the installation of a new electronic photo-finish camera at the track, the computer linked state of the art equipment processing pictures in colour.
The main camera, including a back up one lower down, replaces the old black and white camera in use for many years. The Electronic Imaging Photofinish, its product name, puts out sharp pics in colour, among other things. It was installed by Harvey Phelps, president of Gene Wilson and Associates, a company based in Oklahoma, United States.
