Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer 
The grey HOOKEDONJAZZ is brought with a tremendous stretch run to catch and beat the front running favourite PASSA PASSA (Omar Walker) in the seventh race over 1500 metres for overnight allowance horses at Caymanas Park yesterday. HOOKEDONJAZZ won at odds of 8-1 and was the first of two winners for Bennett. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
The improving apprentice Oral Bennett won his second feature race in successive racedays at Caymanas Park yesterday, booting home the 19-1 outsider LA RUDE in the Drumbeat Trophy (claiming $170,000) over the straight five course.
Bennett, who last Wednesday celebrated his 26th birthday by winning the CTL feature aboard the 41-1 outsider SIR CHARLES, rode another confident race aboard the straight five specialist LA RUDE in a field of 14.
Always prominent as highly fancied MUSTANG (5-2) made most on the stands' side from RING OF FIRE, the 2-1 favourite MOST WANTED and ELECTRO SMART, LA RUDE came through as a team with MOST WANTED in mid-track when MUSTANG called it a day leaving the furlong pole. Driven out by Bennett, LA RUDE gained the ascendancy in the last 100 metres to beat the Ameth Robles-ridden MOST WANTED by 1 1/2 lengths, with YYESSBABY (8-1) a farther 3 1/2 lengths away third.
Near miss
LA RUDE provided new trainer Alden Francis with his first winner from only his second runner. Francis, who for many years was assistant-trainer to Robert Darby Sr., graduated from the JRC training course a month ago along with 24 other new trainers.
He had a near miss with his first runner, LA RUDE, over the straight on July 14 when beaten a head by ELECTRO SMART, but this time he was not to be denied with the six-year-old gelding, his only horse.
"I'm truly elated with this win, but it was not unexpected", said Francis who is popularly called 'Bunny Flash'.
"I got La Rude from Mr. Darby some weeks ago and worked tirelessly to get him in tip top shape," he recalls. "Today I was pretty confident of saddling my first winner and I hope this will help me to build up a good string of horses," added the trainer who is a past student of St. Andrew Technical.
Ran on strongly
Bennett had a second winner on the card in HOOKEDONJAZZ. Trained by Heaton Thomas, the grey gelding ran on strongly in deep stretch to catch long-time leader and 6-5 favourite PASSA PASSA in the 1500-metre overnight allowance race.
However, it was title-chasing jockey Oneil Mullings who highlighted the nine-race programme with three winners in TAKE FIVE (2-1), HEZA RANKING (8-5) and evens favourite MISS SLOOKIE. The latter completed a rare double for eight-time champion trainer Kenneth Mattis, who also saddled TAKE FIVE to win the 3-y-o sprint.
Mullings pushed his season's tally to 36, only three adrift of leading jockey Trevor Simpson who rode one winner in 8-1 chance MAGNIFICENTWARRIOR in the second race.
Apprentice Carlton Malcolm rode two winners, including 6-5 favourite WAGONIST who was awarded the fifth race on the disqualification of 31-1 outsider SEE DA BREEZE with Leo Miller up.
