BY JIMMIE, Star Racing Writer
A GUTSY TREVOR Simpson on Wednesday booted home two quick winners to keep his championship hopes afloat on an afternoon, which Brian Harding had seemed destined to dominate.
Harding, with whom Simpson had started the day locked on 88 winners, responded on the latter half of the nine-race card with a three-timer to inch ahead on 91 winners, one ahead of the champion jockey.
The Trinidadian five-time champion has once again secured hot rides on tomorrow's card, down to compete in nine of 10 races, and should boot home at least four winners whereas Simpson will be hard-pressed to visit the winners' enclosure with any of his six mounts.
Trainer Wayne DaCosta, who, the railbirds claim, is firmly in Harding's corner after parting ways with Simpson earlier this year, has summoned the Trinidadian to partner MORGAN'S RENEGADE in the third event and RIGMAROLE at 1200 metres in the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers Association Trophy race.
Anthony Nunes, to whose barn Harding is contracted, has the stable rider aboard hot two-year-old debutant CALABASH BAY in the fourth as well as DON LIMPIO in the ninth following the American-bred gelding's impressive runaway win at a mile two Wednesdays ago.
As if responding to Simpson getting the ride aboard American-bred YA JUGEY, who romped home by nine lengths when reporting down in class on a $200,000 tag recently, DaCosta flung in one of his own, MORGAN'S RENEGADE, summoning Harding to do the job.
MORGAN'S RENEGADE raced among Restricted Stakes company the same day YA JUGEY lost $200,000 claimers. DaCosta's runner chased DON LIMPIO from the start but was unable to maintain splits of 46.4 and 1:13.1 at a mile.
Representing the lone speed at 1500 metres, MORGAN'S RENEGADE should prove too fast for YA JUGEY, who didn't start asserting his dominance among Claiming company until late at 1820 metres, beating RENEE'S STAR by nine lengths.
JACKPOTS AT $1.5M
KING AL at 3-1 and SAMMY MY GIRL, a shade longer at 4-1, were the longest shots on Wednesday's nine race card, which yielded multiple Pick-9 and Super-6 winners.
The Super-6 paid out $1,316.50 on a whopping 560 correct combinations, putting that bet back to its $500,000 guaranteed jackpot tomorrow.
The Pick-9 paid far better, rewarding 12 winning combinations with $83,333.50 each.
Harding and Paul Francis are the jockeys to watch on tomorrow's programme.
Harding should get the job done with DaCosta's RIGMAROLE after the gelding was outsped by the very light and quick TWIN STAR last Saturday.
RIGMAROLE returns treated with lasix and is expected to get the better of AL'S JEWEL. DON LIMPIO should round off Harding's four-timer after showing his liking for a distance of ground when romping a mile in 1:39.3.
Francis should land a three-timer - KERMIT in the second, PRINCE MOHAWK in the eighth and BINGOMANIA at a good price in the nightcap.
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