Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
DIAMOND EXPRESS is hard driven by Clive Lynch to stave off the fast-finishing POLISH MARKET (Paul Francis) in the Valbert Marlowe Memorial Cup feature at Caymanas Park yesterday. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE 6-5 favourite DIAMOND EXPRESS thwarted a late run from 11-1 chance POLISH MARKET at Caymanas Park yesterday to win the restricted allowance feature over 1800 metres for the Valbert Memorial Cup by a neck.
Prominently placed from early in the eight-strong field as the well-backed INTROSPECTION (5-2) made most ahead of VICTORIA and ABOUNDING GRACE, DIAMOND EXPRESS was produced on the outside by Clive Lynch approaching the home turn.
BRIEF DUEL
He turned for home almost heads on with INTROSPECTION and after a brief duel, gained the ascendancy approaching the distance. However, he had to be shaken up in order to stave off the fast-finishing POLISH MARKET, who lost her position (prominent) on the inside approaching the half mile and was apparently given a bit too much to do by Paul 'Country' Francis.
INTROSPECTION faded into third place another 3 3/4 lengths away, while SOY MUJER at 7-1 was fourth.
Owned by P.E.P. Syndicate and bred by Henry Jaghai, DIAMOND EXPRESS is a consistent four-year-old bay gelding by Footloose II out of the Diamond Shoal mare It's Diamond. It was his third win from five starts this season, having scored back-to-back wins in the first quarter with Lynch at the helm.
Earlier in the afternoon, the 3-5 favourite SIR KNIGHT won the sixth and final race in the CTL Claiming series ($200,000 - $170,000) over the circular nine course, out-finishing long-time leader NIJINSKY'S WAR (9-2) in an eight-strong field, with highly-fancied LADY ISIS (outpaced) finishing a well-beaten third.
TOP OF JOCKEYS' STANDINGS
Always prominent, SIR KNIGHT was ridden by title-chasing jockey Wesley 'Callaloo' Henry for Jockey's Enterprise and in-form trainer Rowan Mathie. The same owner/trainer combination had a second winner 30 minutes later in 9-2 chance UNTOUCHABLE (made all).
Meanwhile, in the absence of leading jockey Trevor Simpson, champion jockey Brian Harding seized the opportunity to join his arch rival at the top of the jockeys' standings, thanks to two winners on the 10-race programme. These were odds-on favourite MASANIELLO for his guv'nor Anthony Nunes in the second race and CARIBBEAN MINISTER at 5-2 in the eighth race for maiden three-year-olds.
He thus pushed his season's tally to 38, the same as Simpson, who took the day off for a trip aboard, but will resume riding on Saturday.
Charles Hussey, who led the standings for over five months, rode one winner in LIL' COUNTRY BOY to be only one adrift on 37, while Henry also had one winner to be close up on 35.
Andrew Thomas rode two winners in EAST WIND (11-1) and SAID I SAID I (5-1) in the first and last race respectively, while Lynch was first past the post aboard two of his mounts. TUTOR (5-2) was disqualified for causing interference at the half mile in the fifth and the race awarded to KEELER (5-2) with Dane Nelson aboard.
