By Orville Clarke,
Freelance Writer
Parish... takes over lead.
OWNER Laurence Heffes and trainer Jose Pinchin teamed up to win the Owen Silvera Memorial Cup for the second consecutive year at Caymanas Park yesterday, this time with 28-1 outsider BLOOR AND BAY who made virtually all and held on by a neck over a mile.
With apprentice Kenyatta Davis astride, BLOOR AND BAY was ridden to dispute the early with 7-1 chance CIELO MYSTIQUE, followed by a two-length gap to the 4-5 favourite I'MSATISFIED biding his time in third, along with ZEEDON and BODY AND SOUL in the field of 11.
BLOOR AND BAY opened up leaving the half mile and turned for home two lengths clear of CIELO MYSTIQUE on the rails with I'MSATISFIED beginning to loom on the outside. And when I'MSATISFIED seemingly found top gear under leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths leaving the furlong pole, BLOOR AND BAY dug in determinedly to stave off the 2000 Triple Crown winner I'MSATISFIED by a neck with recent winner CIELO MYSTIQUE running a game race to finish another neck away third.
An American bred five-year-old bay horse by Marquetry out of Caerna, BLOOR AND BAY was notching his second win over 1600 metres since December 31, He also followed in the footsteps of stable-companion VOLCANIC ERUPTION who won the race a year ago. Back then BLOOR AND BAY was fourth.
Earlier in the afternoon PURPLE HEART (8-1) also made it a post to post affair to win the day's secondary feature for the Labour Day Trophy (claiming $330,000 - $290,000), this over 1200 metres.
Ridden by apprentice Devon S. Thomas for owner O'Neil Markland and trainer Tyrone Prince, PURPLE HEART held on by half a length from the badly ridden 3-5 favourite NEFTENGA (closing) who had 2 1/4 lengths to spare over WYLE COYOTE (8-5) in third. Nine ran.
On a day marked by several upsets, including BLOOR AND BAY, LADY KAMPOOR at 36-1 and SANDBAGGER at 15-1, title chasing apprentice Ramon Parish rode one winner in 4-5 favourite CLEVER STAR to eventually assume the lead from arch rival Wesley Henry in the jockeys' championship race. Parish moves to 42 while Henry was left stranded on 41.
