THE 13-1 outsider, DR STEPHANIE, outfinished 6-5 favourite, THE SMOKER, by a neck to win the Paul Newman Memorial Trophy feature (claiming $390,000 - $350,000) over 1600 metres in a driving finish at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Piloted by 3kg claming apprentice Kevin Blake, for owner/trainer Winston A. Charles, DR STEPHANIE was driven to chase the early leader, BONNIE'S VICTORY (7-1), before dropping back to third when RED LION (6-1) shot into the lead along the rails at the half mile.

THE SMOKER, who was never far off the pace under in-form rider Paul Francis, closed in on RED LION entering the straight (wide) and mounted his challenge on the wide outside as DR STEPHANIE began to rally on the inside. Both came through as a team early in the last furlong, with DR STEPHANIE gaining the ascendancy close to home for a narrow victory.

Strong

They finished 1 1/2 lengths clear of ROYAL BLAST (7-1), who stayed on strongly for third towards the inside. Eight ran.

A four-year-old bay filly by Swept To Victory, out of Respect For Mom, DR STEPHANIE, who was bred by her owner, has won four races from 14 starters this season, and $961,000 in stakes.

Earlier in the afternoon, top-weight ALNASKRA, with Francis aboard, held on grimly by a neck to win the overnight allowance race over 1100 metres from the fast-finishing pair of DANCING SAM (4-1) and 6-5 favourite THE QUEEN in a field of seven.

ALNASKRA disputed the early lead with MAGDALA before going through approaching the 600-metre marker. Although turning for home a clear leader, the four-year-old son of Al's River Cat had to be driven out in the closing stages to hold DANCING SAM and THE QUEEN at bay.

Riding honours

THE QUEEN closed fast on the outside, after having to be switched by Dick Cardenas from the rails leaving the furlong pole, only to be beaten by half a length.

In the absence of leading jockey Omar Walker, who sat out the first day of a three-day suspension, Dane Nelson (Jam Rock, Rule By Secrecy) and Shane Ellis (Making Out, Sledge) shared the riding honours with two winners each, this on a day when the fancied horses held their own for the most part.

Former top-line apprentice in the decade of the '70s, Michael Dixon, notched his first win in six years aboard the Fernando Geddes-trained HINDU KUSH (8-1) who completed a hat-trick of wins in the closing race over 1400, winning in a driving finish from the front-running CAJUN FIDDLER (3-1).

The 53-year-old jockey had previously won aboard ZACKATTACK for trainer Ivanhoe 'Skit' Williams in 2002.