Feanny Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Leading trainer Philip Feanny widened his lead in the trainers' championship when he posted his second classic winner of the season - RUM TALK - in the mile and quarter Jamaica St. Leger at Caymanas Park on Saturday.
Ridden by 'Hall of Famer' Charles Hussey, replacing customary rider Trevor Simpson, the bay colt by Royal Minister, out of Good As Gold, made amends for his defeat to THE BOMBER in the June 2 Digicel Derby by turning the tables on the front-running colt over the shorter distance of the St. Leger.
RUM TALK, the 2000 Guineas winner, was the second of three winners for Feanny on the 12-race programme, the 'Hall of Famer' having posted the two-year-old debutante I'M MAGIC to win the first race over 600 metres straight and 3-5 favourite FIRE D TRAINER who won the closing 1200-metre race in a spectacular blanket finish involving five horses.
Third winner
Both fillies were ridden by Simpson who also had a third winner in the Dwight Chen-trained MUSICAL MAESTRO to assume the lead from Paul Francis in the jockeys' standings with 34 wins.
By virtue of this three-timer, Feanny has gone into a clear lead over reigning champion Wayne DaCosta who dominated the standings during the first half of the year. Feanny leads with $13.7 million - almost $2 million ahead of DaCosta ($11.8m) with Anthony 'Baba' Nunes fairly close up in third with $10.6 million.
With the season's leading money spinner RUM TALK at his disposal, not to mention top stakes horse DISTINCTLY IRISH and a string of promising two-year-olds, Feanny is a firm favourite to wrestle the title from his arch rival DaCosta this year.
Indeed, the two men have dominated the cham-pionship since 1991, Feanny winning it 11 times (including eight in a row from 1991 to 1998) during that period and DaCosta winning it five times.
Still on the subject of trainers, newcomer Fredrick Watson saddled his first winner from his first runner when 2-1 chance MYTHICAL PEGASUS won the second race over the circular nine course with sparingly used Elvis Murray aboard.
He thus became the third trainer behind Bill Deenah and Leroy Fearon to saddle a winner from the batch of 25 new trainers which graduated from the JRC course on June 26.
Saturday's $2.6 million Pick-9 was caught by 10 punters, each receiving $264,655.50. The large payout was rather surprising as the fancied horses held their own, save for 5-1 shot UNKNOWN VARIABLE in the eighth race for overnight allowance horse.
The American mare, who made most, was ridden by champion jockey Brian Harding and provided trainer Gary Subratie with one of three winners on the card.
