JOHNNY'S KING is eased by jockey Clive Lynch after his gutsy performance in yesterday's Caymanas Park Open Allowance feature for the Owen Silvera Memorial Cup over 1600 metres. Offering odds of 8-1, JOHNNY'S KING was one of three winners for trainer Richie Todd on the 10-race programme.
-Ian Allen photo
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
BOLD FRONT runner JOHNNY'S KING turned in another gutsy display at Caymanas Park yesterday to deny the 2003 Superstakes winner PITTACUS in the Owen Silvera Memorial Cup Open Allowance feature over 1600 metres.
Going off at odds of 8-1 with bustling Clive Lynch aboard, the 4-y-o colt from the stables of Richie Todd won by two lengths from the 1-2 favourite PITTACUS, who had only a nose to spare over his lesser fancied stable-companion THE MINISTER (6-1), who finished extremely fast on the wide outside in a field of nine.
JOHNNY'S KING was early in the lead. As they sorted themselves out, he maintained a two-length advantage over METEOR MAN, closely followed by PITTACUS and PEACE & LOVE.
PITTACUS, the mount of title-chasing jockey Shane Ellis, went in chase leaving the half mile and it came down to a two-horse race when he mounted his challenge on the outside entering the straight.
Driven out by Ellis, PITTACUS eventually got his head in front approaching the distance, but the race was by no means over at this stage.
Under some aggressive left handed whipping from Lynch, JOHNNY'S KING, who truly relishes a fight, staged a tremendous rally on the inside leaving the furlong pole regaining the lead from top weight PITTACUS early in the last furlong for a decisive win.
This was JOHNNY'S KING second win from seven starts this season. The dark bay son of America's Pal - Grady's Testamony had previous won over 1700 metres on March 27 beating the then favourite FORMALLY GOLD in typical swashbuckling fashion with Lynch at the helm.
SPARKLING THREE-TIMER
Owned by Leroy Budhoo and bred by Steve Budhoo, JOHNNY'S KING capped a sparkling three-timer for trainer Todd on the 10-race programme. His other winners were CRIMSON MAGIC at 9-1 in the second race over 1500 metres and 2-1 favourite PLEASANT WOOD under the now sparingly used Andrew Wright in the eighth race for $140,000 claimers over the straight five course.
Todd thus pushed his winning tally for the season to 26 and has now joined champion trainer Wayne DaCosta at the top of the tables.
Incidentally, CRIMSON MAGIC (Lynch up) actually passed the post second in a tight photo-finish with 21-1 outsider AFFAIRS OF STATE under Larris Allen.
But following a Stewards' Inquiry the latter was disqualified and placed second and the race awarded to CRIMSON MAGIC with whom he had interfered in the stretch duel.
The card, which saw four favourites obliging, was marked by several upsets, chief among them was THE RHYTHM DOCTOR at 40-1 in the seventh race over the straight five course, a race in which the 2-1 second favourite BIG BELLY SAM was cantering on the lead a furlong and a half out when he stumbled and fell, decking jockey Shane Ellis (who escaped injury) in the process.
Other upsets were provided by UNTAMED PEGASUS at 13-1 in the fourth race for maidens over 1200 metres and the Gregory Bucknor-trained BLOW WIND BLOW at 7-1 in the closing race for the Joshua Morrison Memorial Cup over 1500 metres. The 4-y-o gelding was ridden by in-form apprentice Andrew Nunes.
