YOUNG FOR ALL (outside), ridden by champion jockey Trevor Simpson, holds on well to win the Gladiator Trophy over 1400 metres ahead of PEACE & LOVE (Charles Hussey) at Caymanas Park yesterday. The 4-y-o gelding from the stables of top trainer Wayne DaCosta, won at odds of 2-1.-RICARDO MAKYNOrville Clarke, Freelance Writer
YOUNG FOR ALL showed that his brave effort in the recent Red Stripe Superstakes was no fluke when he landed yesterday's Caymanas Park open allowance feature for the Gladiator Trophy over 1400 metres.
Ridden by returning champion jockey Trevor Simpson for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, YOUNG FOR ALL went wire to wire.
Installed a 2-1 second favourite in a field of nine, the consistent 4-y-o gelding by The Medic out of Pizzaz was pressed by the highly fancied ECSTATIC from the half mile but kept on well to hold a narrow advantage entering the straight.
At this stage, the howling 3-5 favourite CAPTAIN BLIGH, who was outpaced a bit, loomed into contention along with PEACE AND LOVE who was prominent in third. But YOUNG FOR ALL, under a bustling ride from Simpson, kept on strongly to win by 1 1/4 lengths from PEACE AND LOVE (5-1) running on the inside under former champion Charles Hussey, as CAPTAIN BLIGH with in-form Shane Ellis aboard failed to carry through the effort leaving the furlong pole and had to settle for third, a further two lengths away.
Owned by E.E. Young Limited, YOUNG FOR ALL notched his fifth win from 15 starts this season.
Simpson had a second winner on the card in 3-5 favourite WATERS OF MERRIBAH for popular owner Coco Tea in the eighth race to move into the nineties. He finished the day on 91 winners, 37 clear of his closest rival, the apprentice Paul Francis, who rode one winner in 4-5 favourite ISSEY MIYAKE for trainer Noel Ennevor in the fourth race over the straight five course.
Also riding two winners were Shane Ellis (Irish Cream, Zealot) and smart apprentice Phillip Clunis (Blue Debbie, Kings Highway). Ellis kept up his challenge to beat Francis for second in the championship when capping a double aboard 2-1 chance ZEALOT in the closing straight five race, moving to 51 - only three behind Francis.
Ellis, however, starts a three-day suspension on Wednesday (for careless riding aboard Latonia on November 8), but is still a hot favourite to claim the runner-up slot in the championship race seeing he has the clout to secure better rides than Francis in the weeks ahead.
Odds-on favourite SUPA LEI, ridden by Clive Lynch for 13-time champion trainer Philip Feanny, made all to win the day's secondary feature for the Flossie McNeil Memorial Cup for native bred three-year-old fillies over 1200 metres.
