Ainsley Walters, Gleaner Writer

LITTLE WASP made a mockery of rivals and WHEEL N DEAL outbattled MINISTEROFJUSTICE to bring down the curtain on the 2008 season of racing at Caymanas Park yesterday.

American-bred LITTLE WASP sat just off the pace at 1400 metres in the Sweet Ruckus Trophy before brushing aside SHAKIRA SHAKIRA off the home turn and darted away under returning champion jockey Omar Walker for a facile win in the two-year-old graded stakes co-feature.

The Wayne DaCosta-trained filly rebounded in style to notch her fourth win from five starts, winning by seven and three-quarter lengths after blotting her book with a one-length loss to the local-bred MY SPACE at 1200 metres on December 6.

Owned by the quartet of Elizabeth DaCosta, Winston Kong, Raymond Rousseau and Trinidadian Bernard Dulal-Whiteway, LITTLE WASP clocked a fast 1:25.3 for the distance.

WHEEL N DEAL, however, had to run for all he was worth to get the better of MINISTEROFJUSTICE in a thrilling stretch duel to win the 1100-metre open allowance Pringle Cup by a neck.

The Richie Todd-trained colt shot out of the starting gate from post-position one under Peter Bryan and led to the home turn where he was tackled and headed off by MINISTEROFJUSTICE with Dane Nelson.

Hunting a third straight win, MINISTEROFJUSTICE, the five-furlong straight track record holder, inched ahead of WHEEL N DEAL but Todd's runner rallied along the rail to eyeball his rival.

The horses thundered toward the finish line, exchanging head-bobs before WHEEL N DEAL, the lighter of the duo with 49 kilos, stuck his neck in front at the final hop.

Sixth win for Wheel N Deal

Another fantastic time was recorded, 1:04.4.

It was WHEEL N DEAL's sixth win from 13 starts this season, sending the three-year-colt to race among graded stakes runners next year.

Earlier in the afternoon, Anthony Nunes' SPACEMAN responded well to a change of equipment to blow away the field in the 1820-metre Rimsky Trophy.

Partnered by Shane Ellis for owner Robert Nunes, SPACEMAN raced off the pace down the backstretch before improving into fifth and making his move 2 1/2 furlongs out, sweeping widest into the lane.

However, he quickly reeled in the battling trio of JET SKIER, PLEASURE FLIGHT and PLATINUM VALLEY, sprinting off for a 6 1/2 length win.

There is hardly a day without controversy at Caymanas Park and the final raceday of the year was no exception.

Gaffe escaped officials

Bettors were left fuming after the fourth event won by 22-1 outsider RIVER STYX. Trained by Patrick Lynch, trainer of last year's Derby winner, THE BOMBER, RIVER STYX was declared to race in blinkers but was not fitted with the equipment by her trainer, a gaffe which also escaped the attention of the clerks of the saddling and parade rings.

The error was discovered after the race was declared official by the stewards, which meant there was no way RIVER STYX's number could have been taken down, resulting in angry patrons holding tickets with second-past-the-post ADDI ADDI, a 3-1 fancy, questioning the competence of the Caymanas Track Limited staffers in the parade and saddling ring. A Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) official confirmed the incident and laid the blame at the clerks' feet, all but saying RIVER STYX will lose the race in the boardroom of the JRC, as the onus was on Lynch to fit the equipment.

Ran without blinkers

"The horse ran without the blinkers and it should have been spotted by the clerk of the parade ring or the saddling ring," he said.

"It should have been spotted at both points. If the matter was brought to our attention before it was made official, we would have disqualified the horse. We now have to make a written report to the commission," he said.

Meanwhile, the Pick-9 bet, which started the day with a carryover of $4.7 million, soared to $5.6 million as no punter was good enough to snare the jackpot, which will now roll over to the New Year's Day race meet, next Thursday.