Showing his appreciation for the drop in class, GUIDING LIGHT ran through early in the straight to win the 3-y-o and up high claiming feature for the J.W. 'Judge' Hardie Memorial Cup over 1600 metres in decisive fashion at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Having caught the eye when finishing five lengths seventh to MARK TO MARKET over the straight in special claiming last Saturday, GUIDING LIGHT, the 4-5 favourite under leading jockey Dane Nelson, was never far off the pace as THREE QUEENS (11-1) and DR STEPHANIE (7-1) hooked up on the lead for most of the way, ahead of TIMOTHY SCOTT, who assumed the lead approaching the home turn in a field of eight.

By then, however, GUIDING LIGHT was travelling nicely on the outside and after turning for home a close second, quickly disposed of TIMOTHY SCOTT.

Kept on strongly

Thereafter, he kept on strongly to stave off the 2-1 second favourite ROYAL BLAST under champion jockey Omar Walker by 2 1/4 lengths, posting his third win from 14 starts this season.

A seven-year-old bay gelding by Freshly Squeezed out of Nuclear Explosion, GUIDING LIGHT is owned and trained by Michael McIntosh and bred by Ruth Hussey. McIntosh saddled another 4-5 winner in MEDICAL ACCOUNT (made all) with Nelson aboard in the second race over 1200 metres.

Incidentally, GUIDING LIGHT was claimed after the race by trainer Dennis Lee for $470,000.

Top jockeys Nelson (58 wins) and Walker (56) rode two winners each to remain as they were in the jockeys' standings.

However, Nelson was on Tuesday slapped with a one-day suspension by the stewards for careless riding aboard SEGURO ORO in the fourth race last Saturday. His suspension takes effect Saturday, July 4.

Maiden race

Also saddling two winners was Richard Azan. These were PRINCE OF PEACE (2-1), who floored the odds on the front-running favourite SKITTLE QUEEN under Walker in the first race over the circular nine course, and 9-5 chance MOCHACHOCOLATTE with in-form Panamanian Dick Cardenas in the 3-y-o maiden race over the same distance.

MOCHACHOCOLATTE won in a driving finish from the favourite FIRE DRAGON, closing late on the outside and the 8-1 chance GENERAL CURLIN who went down fighting on the inside after chasing the winner relentlessly, losing second on the line.

The 3-5 favourite RED SONJA made all with Richard Mitchell riding for trainer Wilfred Chin to land the two-year-old race quite easily.

Her job was made a lot easier when the heavily backed second favourite, the debutante SEA DEVIL, acted up badly in the starting gate and unseated jockey Brian Harding. She eventually walked out of the gate and was always left with too much to do, finishing third.