Ainsley Walters, Sport Reporter
TRINIDADIAN JOCKEY Brian Harding and record-chasing Trevor Simpson lit up Caymanas Park yesterday, sharing six winners on the 11-race card.
Harding produced Anthony Nunes-trained CAPTAIN BLIGH with a well-timed stretch run to outbattle ECSTATIC for the 1500-metre RJR Classic feature race and Simpson's three-timer pushed his tally to 100 - 67 off George HoSang's 28-year record.
Harding, a distant second in the jockeys' standings, moved to 39 after his victory aboard much-improved CAPTAIN BLIGH after booting home DUTY CALL in the third and INSTRUMENTAL in the 1000-metre straight fifth race.
CAPTAIN BLIGH, coming off a good win in the 1300-metre Cable and Wireless Stakes on St. Leger Day, broke well from his outside draw in the 16-horse field but was held off a mad six-horse rush for the lead heading to the half-mile.
Coming off the far turn, Percy Williams sent on Percy Hussey's SEARCH LIGHT with ECSTATIC chasing and CAPTAIN BLIGH tracking in third. SEARCH LIGHT straightened under pressure from ECSTATIC and CAPTAIN BLIGH challenging three-wide.
As the trio thundered up the straight, ECSTATIC stuck her head in front a furlong out, going past SEARCH LIGHT weakening but CAPTAIN BLIGH, rubbing shoulders on the outside, pounced immediately and pulled off a half-furlong from the wire to win by two lengths.
Simpson, meanwhile, was the toast of the park after victory aboard Wayne DaCosta's PREACH PREACHER in the 1600-metre Lester Spaulding Gold Cup co-feature, outbattling Philip Feanny's PHAREAL with Larris Allen in the irons.
Racing clear of the field soon after the start, the pair duelled down the backstretch and back to the wire, Simpson getting PREACH PREACHER to rally strongly in the stretch run, getting the better of PHAREAL, who had the advantage from four furlongs out.
Simpson's other winners were MEDIC ON BOARD in the opening event and VALIANT NATURE in the fourth.
HoSang's record, Simpson said, is now firmly within his sights.
"I got a great start and as long as I keep getting the rides I 'll get there," he said.
