By Orville Clarke,
Freelance Writer
BRINGDIMONEYCOME, ridden by visiting one-time champion jockey Wesley Henry, displayed superior pace to win the IGL/CTL Fan Appreciation Day Trophy over 2200 metres, in decisive fashion, at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Earlier in the afternoon, the card's traditional supporting feature for the New Year's Day Trophy (claiming $200,000 - $180,000) over 1300 metres resulted in a dead-heat between AINTREE at 7-2, ridden by the apprentice Devon S. Thomas aboard, and the 6-1 shot LUCKI PLUCKI with Paul Ramsay aboard.
Coming off a recent win, BRINGDIMONEYCOME was installed a 6-5 favourite to follow up. And the four-year-old bay gelding by Maverick out of Pepper Girl duly justified the confidence with a 1 3/4 lengths victory over the highly fancied American filly TECH ALL (2-1) under apprentice Kerry Perry.
The expected clash between BRINGDIMONEYCOME, trained by Kevin Mattis, and the vastly improved four-year-old filly SPEED FREAK, trained by his father Kenneth, did not materialise. SPEED FREAK, though highly fancied (2-1) and bidding for her fourth consecutive win, threw in a clinker to finish last but one in the field of six.
It was the 5-1 chance ZEEDON under Trevor Simpson who led on the outside in the early stages, but in so doing he made things uncomfortable on the inside rails for BRINGDIMONEYCOME and Henry had to check and switch his mount to the outside of ZEEDON passing the tote board for the first time.
BRINGDIMONDEYCOME gradually wrestled the lead from ZEEDON after turning into the backstretch and when TECH ALL went in chase leaving the three to turn for home within striking distance, he found another gear to race into a clear lead approaching the distance.
Although tiring a bit over the final 100 metres, BRINGDIMONEYCOME had enough in reserve to win comfortably as TECH ALL finished well clear of ZEEDON in third.
Henry said: "Bringdimoney-come enjoys running his rivals into the ground and after being shut out on the inside early in the race, I had to do some riding to grab the lead. After that all I had to do was regulate the pace until the final bend. In the end I think he won easily," said the 1997 champion jockey who is comtemplating whether to ride full time in Jamaica this year.
Henry, accompanied by his mother and one-year-old daughter, said in another week or so he will make a "small turn" to his base in New York, but promised he will be back before long.
BRINGDIMONEYCOME, who ticked off his fourth win from his last six starts, is owned by Michael Lewis and bred by Percival "Burt" Tomlinson.
Meanwhile, the New Year's Day Trophy race was keenly contested by nine starters and in the end less than a length covered the first three past the post.
Henry's mount SILVER STREAK (3-1) led comfortaby from MUTUAL AGREEMENT and 2-1 favourite BAY SAVAGE in the backstetch with AINTREE and LUCKI PLUCKI not far off. As they swung into the straight, however, SILVER STREAK threw up the gallop as AINTREE came through on the inside and BAY SAVAGE on the outside.
With BAY SAVAGE failing to carry through his effort in the last furlong, it was left to the fast-finishing LUCKI PLUCKI to carry the fight to AINTREE in the closing stages. And not even the camera could separate them. BAY SAVAGE finished three-quarter length away in third.
Henry and the improving apprentice Kerry Perry shared the riding honours with two winners each. In addition to BRINGDIMONEYCOME, Henry won aboard the straight five specialist BELLEOFTHEBAL, at 3-2 in the fifth race, while Perry replied with 9-5 favourite CHADD THE MASTER in the second and PROUDEST NATIVE at 5-2 in the seventh.
