Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
The 3-5 favourite, AD INFINITUM, is driven out by jockey Brian Harding in the closing stages of the 3-y-o and up overnight allowance race over 2000 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday to win in a driving finish from MEDIC ON BOARD (out of pic).Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
PROGRESSIVE THREE-year-old gelding AD INFINITUM justified 3-5 favouritism in the overnight allowance feature at Caymanas Park yesterday, but did so the hard way.
With title-chasing jockey Brian Harding again in the saddle, AD INFINITUM had to be driven out to grab the lead midway through the last furlong, then held on by a neck from the fast-finishing MEDIC ON BOARD (10-1) who in turn had a head to spare over the 42-1 outsider WIMBLEDON (also closing) in a blanket finish over 2000 metres.
It was a truly run race from start to finish with the Philip Feanny-trained American filly SWEET SOUTHERNGAL (3-1) and the winner's lesser fancied stable-companion UNLEADED (16-1) hooked up on the lead for the first 1200 metres in a field of 11, before SWEET SOUTHERNGAL shook clear under substitute rider Larris Allen.
Although 'SOUTHERNGAL' turned for home some three lengths clear of ROYAL COMMAND and AD INFINITUM, she was mowed down by both horses inside the last furlong, with AD INFINITUM digging deep at a crucial stage for a narrow win under joint top weight of 57kg. ROYAL COMMAND, who also shouldered top weight, faded into fourth place.
Owned by Barbados-based Elias Haloute, trained by Anthony 'Baba' Nunes and bred by the Orange Valley Estates Limited, AD INFINITUM who earlier this season finished second to MIRACLE MAN in the Derby, St. Leger and Governor's Cup, chalked up his second consecutive win and his fifth from 13 starts this season with stakes earning of $3.1 million for the period. He is by Pangur Ban out of the Peacemaker mare Infinity.
two winners for harding
On a day when none of the 10 races offered a trophy, Harding rode two winners in AD INFINITUM and 3-1 chance YAHABIBI for trainer Gary Subratie to move within two of leading jockey Trevor Simpson who sat out the final day of a three-day suspension and will resume riding next Saturday, October 15.
Jockey Kenyatta Davis, who has been riding with some success in Northern America, returned home to win the sixth race over the circular nine course aboard the even-money favourite POLISH MARKET for popular owner Howard Hamilton and trainer Noel Ennevor. Davis said he had been riding at Northlands and Stampede Park.
POLISH MARKET was one of four winning favourites on a day when the sparingly raced CONCORDE at odds of 9-1 stormed through in the last furlong to upstage the Harding-ridden favourite STORMY SKY over 1100 metres.
The four-year-old colt completed a double for the vastly improved claiming apprentice Kerry-Gayle Robinson who had earlier won aboard 9-5 chance OTHELIA in the third for returning trainer Lechester Beech.
