Simpson
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
HOT JOCKEY Trevor 'Slicer' Simpson was in a no-nonsense mood at Caymanas Park yesterday, booting home five winners from nine rides on the 11-race programme.
Fresh from back-to-back three-timers on the two previous race days, Simpson, who started the day on 50 winners, had three early misses with highly fancied LITTLE PALIUM, TUFF E NUFF and KING AL in the first three races, before coming into his own with a runaway win aboard the 3-y-o grey gelding MR. LONGINO, a 2-5 favourite, in the fourth for maidens over 1400 metres.
Thereafter, the 'Big Man', as he is called by his colleagues in the Jockey's Room, followed up with 6-5 favourite PRINCESS TALIA for his guv'nor, trainer Wayne DaCosta, in the fifth race over the round five course, then the 3-5 favourite PREACH PREACHER who romped home in the seventh (overnight allowance) to give DaCosta a second winner and 9-2 chance SIR CAT, who made all impressively over the straight five course in the eighth.
'Slicer' put the icing on the cake in the closing race with an arm-chair ride aboard the even-money favourite FIGHT FOR LIFE in the Gladstone "Puckoo" DeSouza Memorial Cup over a mile, the five-year-old mare taking over the lead from BLANCHE leaving the 600-metre pole and cruising in by all of 13 lengths from highly fancied PRIVATE AFFAIR.
This marked Simpson's second five-timer since the start of the season. The previous one came on April 20. He has so far ridden 55 winners - 32 clear of closest rival Robert Reid who rode one winner in the 7-2 chance LADY JAYSHARE for trainer Gary Subratie.
In addition to having ridden five winners twice this season, Simpson has notched two four-timers and six triples (despite two suspensions), a remarkable run rivalled only by Andrew Ramgeet's early season form in 1999 when he won the championship with 146 winners.
Providing Simpson stays injury free and avoids further short suspensions for careless riding, the two-time champion could go pretty close to George HoSang's all-time record of 167 winners in a season established in 1974.
What is more immediate to the jockey is to surpass his personal best record of six winners in a day which he achieved on two occasions in the early 90s. He's also eyeing Ramgeet's all-time record of eight winners in a day achieved on November 20, 1993.
"We'll see how it goes," he said yesterday. "If I continue to secure good rides and remain focussed, then anything is possible".
SUL EXPRESS (9-5) floored the odds-on 4-5 favourite CRIME OF PASSION in winning Division I of the DeSouza Memorial Cup feature (claiming $100,000) with Clive Lynch riding for part-owner and trainer Joseph Thomas. She won by 2 3/4 from CRIME OF PASSION.
