Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

COMING FROM a seemingly hopeless position in the backstretch, ALPHA LUPA exploded in the last furlong to win the third running of the $1 million CTL Imported Stakes (open allowance) over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Installed a marginal favourite at 2-1 in a field of 10, ALPHA LUPA, ridden by Paul 'Country' Francis, won by two lengths from brave top weight EXPLOSIVE PEAK (5-1), who led in tearaway fashion to the last furlong in a bid to win the race for the second time since 2005.

Blistering pace

Peter McMaster's EXPLOSIVE PEAK, toting the crushing impost of 60.5kg under leading jockey Trevor Simpson, led at a blistering pace to turn for home some four lengths clear of the chasing PASSA PASSA and FIRST IN THE SAND.

Although looking the likely winner when still full of running a furlong out, EXPLOSIVE PEAK was gobbled up by the grey ALPHA LUPA in the last 100 metres.

Owned by Tara Nunes and trained by her husband, Anthony 'Baba' Nunes, the winner, an American-bred five-year-old mare by Wolf Power out of Mips, notched up her second win from six starts this season.

Badly outpaced

"She has now won four races over seven furlongs an she was badly outpaced at the halfway stage, I was not too concerned for she runs best from well off the pace. She was also helped by the underfoot conditions. She really likes the soft underfoot conditions," he said.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Howard Hamilton-owned and Dwight Chen-trained MUSICAL MAESTRO (Trevor Simpson up) turned in a fantastic weight-carrying performance to win the Reggae Trophy graded stakes co-feature over the straight five course in near track record time.

Always prominent as highly fancied LA REINA made most in the six-strong field, MUSICAL MAESTRO, the 4-5 favourite, was produced early in the stretch and, responding to a powerful ride from Simpson, gained the ascendancy close home to win by a neck from LA REINA, covering the distance in the smart time of 56.2, only a fifth of a second outside his own track record set in November of last year.

Simpson (53 wins) rode three winners on the 12-race card to move two clear of closest rival the apprentice Omar Walker (rode two winners) in the jockeys championship, while Dwight Chen saddled three winners.