Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer 
Dacosta
FUTZ MADE short work of his opponents to win the round five feature (claiming $160,000) for the Lester Davidson Memorial Cup at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Offering odds of 5-2 with Phillip Clunis aboard, the American 5-y-o horse won by 2 1/4 lengths from 7-2 chance CROP OVER under co-leading jockey Wesley Henry with the 65-1 outsider PATAS DE FUEGO finishing third, another four lengths away in a field of seven.
SHADE OF JADE, highly fancied at 2-1, could only manage fourth, inches ahead of 4-5 favourite BUSHY PARK RAJA, who finished lame after leading under pressure from CROP OVER.
BUSHY PARK RAJA, the mount of former champion jockey Trevor Simpson, turned for home (wide) ahead of SHADE OF JADE challenging strongly on the outside, but he soon began to show signs of stress.
It was left to FUTZ (always prominent) to storm through on the inside approaching the distance after coming with a ground-saving run into the straight.
The five-year-old bay horse thus posted his third win from 29 career starts, but his first since winning over a similar trip on July 9 last year. FUTZ was then conditioned by Steadman Curtis.
Yesterday he was trained by Alroy Watson for owners S.A.C.
Champion trainer Wayne DaCosta took the honours once again with two winners to push his season's tally to 12, seven clear of his closest rivals Anthony Nunes, Noel Ennevor, Robert Darby Sr., Percy Hussey and Rowan Mathie.
DaCosta posted the veteran campaigner METEOR MAN (3-2) to win the third race (high claiming) in a driving finish with Lanscott Fray aboard and 1-2 favourite QUEEN OF MY HEART, who romped home by the resounding margin of 20 3/4 lengths, in the sixth race over 1400 metres for maiden three-year-olds.
Shooting through approaching the 600-metre pole ahead of the early leader ABENG, the lightly-raced chestnut filly by Royal Minister out of Volcanic Eruption was ridden by two-time champion jockey Joe Buchanan for New Blue Limited.
QUEEN OF MY HEART was one of five favourites to score on a day when the Tensang Chung-trained 4-y-o debutante FLYING FIRETAIL at 32-1 with Kenyatta Davis aboard and Richard Donaldson's MINISTER WOODSTOCK at 15-1 under former champion jockey Percy Williams provided the upsets. As a result, the Pick-9 carryover to next Saturday is $1.68 million.
