Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

PASSA PASSA, one of three winners for title-chasing jockey Dane Nelson, provided a 25-1 upset in the third running of the $1 million King's Plate open allowance feature over 1500 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Owned by Ping Pong Stables and trained by reigning champion Wayne DaCosta, the American six-year-old gelding, who over the past year has built up a reputation of being a 'bridesmaid', shed the tag in no uncertain fashion with a surprise victory in the Grade II handicap contested by 12 starters.

In one of the most open betting races in months, top weight DR SOCRATES was installed a marginal favourite at 3-1, ahead of hat-trick seeker SMOOTH DUDE at 7-2 and the improving American filly JODI'S CALL at 4-1. But the big weight (60.5kg) proved too much for the Wilfred Chin-trained DR SOCRATES, who finished last but one under five-time champion jockey Trevor Simpson.

PASSA PASSA, meanwhile, raced prominently in third as BLUE MAGIC (6-1) and SMOOTH DUDE hooked up on the lead, blazing the first quarter in 23.1 and the half mile in a blistering 45.4.

battling leaders

With the battling leaders coming wide into the straight, PASSA PASSA got the inside run, went by SMOOTH DUDE a furlong out and moved away to win by 2 1/2 lengths. ACCOMPONG, offering 6-1 with Hall of Fame jockey Charles Hussey up, came home strongly to snatch second from SMOOTH DUDE on the line, while JACK SPARROW at 6-1 was fourth.

"How in heaven's name did he get 25-1," declared the leading trainer. "In all fairness, Passa Passa is always competitive in his races and we knew he had a chance. I expected Blue Magic to lead from Smooth Dude, so I instructed Dane to rate him in third and take it from there.

"The pace had to die on him and the jockey rode a perfect race by taking the shortest route into the straight," said DaCosta, who also posted his sensational 3-y-o colt COMMANDER ZERO (Nelson up) to win the 1500-metre race for native-bred three-year-olds by the resounding margin of 15 1/2 lengths to be unbeaten in two starts.

Owned by Von White, COMMANDER ZERO, who won by 19 1/4 lengths over 1200 metres on his January 5 debut, covered the distance in the smart time of 1:31.1 which was one and two fifths of a second faster than that of PASSA PASSA. COMMANDER ZERO is a grey colt by He'stherealthing out of the Texas Prospector mare Arantxa, bred by Orange Valley Estates Limited.

On a day when leading jockey Shane Ellis failed to ride a winner, Nelson had a third winner on the card in 3-1 shot PRINCESS ZANAI in the closing race to be joint leader with Ellis on 17 winners.