HE'S REALLY OK (outside) responds to a strong ride from jockey Paul 'Country' Francis to pip the 7-5 favourite BRUCEONTHELOOSE (Winston Griffiths) by a short head in the 89th running of the United Bookmakers Association Jamaica Derby over 2400 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. POSEIDON was third. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

In a prolonged stretch duel between the grey horses HE'S REALLY OK and BRUCEONTHELOOSE, the 89th running of the United Bookmakers Association Jamaica Derby went down to the wire at Caymanas Park yesterday.

The recent Lotto Classic winner, HE'S REALLY OK, running at odds of 9-2 with title-chasing jockey Paul 'Country' Francis again riding for trainer Frederick Watson and popular owner Patrick Smellie, outfinished the 2000 Guineas hero BRUCEONTHELOOSE under leading all-time jockey Winston 'Fanna' Griffiths by a short head in a field of 15 native bred three-year-olds to give the owner, trainer and jockey their first Derby win.

POSEIDON, closing well from below the distance at odds of 12-1, finished a mere length away under Florida-based Jamaica jockey Allen Maragh, while the 75-1 outsider COUGWAY, the mount of leading jockey Dane Nelson, was fourth.

50th anniversary

In this the 50th anniversary year at Caymanas Park, it was a fitting finish. The race provided a real treat for the bumper crowd who witnessed what must surely be the closest Derby in the long and colourful history of the island's only racetrack.

The excitement reached fever pitch when both horses thundered into the straight almost abreast of each other and with neither giving anything away. It was a pity one had to lose.

It was the 99-1 outsider MY SPACE under Devon A. Thomas who led comfortably passing the stands for the first time, but as they sorted themselves out, BRUCEONTHELOOSE moved ahead of another 99-1 outsider, GHOSTRAPPER, to go in chase of MY SPACE, followed by HE'S REALLY OK and the 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner SAINT CECELIA, highly fancied at 5-2 with Shane Ellis aboard.

Although leading in tearaway fashion for the first half of the race, MY SPACE was overtaken by BRUCEONTHELOOSE approaching the half mile, and with HE'S REALLY OK slipping down quickly into second, the stage was set for a straight fight between them. In the end, HE'S REALLY OK, on the outside, responded well to the right hand stick to pip BRUCEONTHELOOSE on the line.

small stable

Significantly, it was the fourth consecutive year that the Derby winner was coming from a small stable, following the Fitznahum Williams-trained ALSAFRA last year, THE BOMBER (2007) conditioned by Patrick 'Wacky' Lynch and RANSOM MAN (2006) who was trained by Eraldo Fullerton.

No man was happier than the 44-year-old trainer Watson who, to put it mildly, was really okay after the race, as this victory has put him squarely on the map.

"After winning the Governor's Cup when fitted with the figure eight for the first time, I was very confident of winning the Derby as well. This horse has pace and, on top of that, is a genuine distance horse.

"I told you he was going to have their supper and although the margin was close, this is a horse who thrives on racing and it made the difference at crunch time," said Watson who obtained a trainer's licence in June 2007.

Owner elated

Owner/breeder Patrick Smellie, accompanied by his daughter Dionne and son Stephen, was also elated with the win, and had high praises for the jockey, trainer and groom, Theophilus Henry.

"We had a race plan ... don't let Bruceontheloose get away too far. And the jockey executed it to the letter.

"I knew he would win even when they were heads on midway through the last furlong. The staying ability of my horse just made the difference," explained Smellie.

HE'S REALLY OK is a 3-y-o roan gelding by He'stherealthing out of the Slick Trick mare OK Mom. This was his third win from 10 starts this season and his fourth from 15 lifetime.

On a day when champion jockey Omar Walker, Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas, and former champion Trevor Simpson shared the riding honours with two winners each and champion Wayne DaCosta saddled two, the 2008 champion sprinter AHWHOFAH (9-5 fav) ran on strongly between horses a furlong out to win the hotly contested UBA Sprint (grade one) over 1300 metres by two lengths from 'Horse of the Year' ALSAFRA. Eight ran.