Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The American filly GOOD CITIZEN, ridden by the inexperienced claiming apprentice Ansley Dancel, held on grimly from the fast-finishing AD INFINITUM to win the Viceroy Trophy grade one feature over 1800 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday.

The race offered a total purse of $1.2 million - up from $900,000 last year owing to the $110 allocation to purses from Caymanas Track Limited which took effect yesterday.

Backed down to 4-1 despite yet to win going this far in 21 previous races, GOOD CITIZEN, who is owned and trained by Carl 'Django' Anderson, won by three-quarter length from last year's Superstakes winner AD INFINITUM (3-2) under the promising apprentice Doushane Gordon.

A good ride

Paced along nicely in second during the first half of the race as the rank outsider IMMANUEL AND KATIE made most, GOOD CITIZEN shot into the lead approaching the half mile and although stalked by AD INFINITUM approaching the distance, held on well under a good ride from the apprentice. Top weight and 6-5 favourite RUM TALK (Winston Griffiths up) was third of the five runners.

Dancel, who started riding on September 2 in a batch of 19 apprentice jockeys who recently graduated from the Jockeys' School, was notching his first win after a few near misses. He had this to say:

"It feels nice to ride my first winner and coming as it did in a grade one race, was more like a bonus for me." Dancel recalled that although this was his first official winner, he rode MISS PAM AND ME to victory some months ago in a race confined to the Jockeys' Schools' trainees.

GOOD CITIZEN's next objective is the valuable CTL Mile for imported horses on Superstakes Day, Saturday, November 14, when the promoters will stage back-to-back meets beginning on the Friday.

Meanwhile, title-chasing jockey Paul 'Country' Francis rode three winners on the 11-race programme in MR BLAIR at 5-2 in the Jockey Club Stakes supporting feature over 1400 metres, CITY TRAIN a 9-5 favourite in the seventh race over 1200 metres for native bred two-year-olds, and RICKAYBA at 5-2 in the closing Track Price Plus Dig Out Handicap over 1500 metres.