Sergeon moves up a notch

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The fleet-footed MR SKILL, ridden by female apprentice Georgina Sergeon, upstaged his more fancied stable-companion COMMANDER ZERO with an all-the-way victory in the open allowance sprint (1100 metres) at Caymanas Park yesterday, then had to survive a stewards' inquiry.

Offering odds of 5-2 in a field of six, MR. SKILL led in tearaway fashion, ahead of the highly fancied FOREVER MINE (2-1) and 4-5 favourite COMMANDER ZERO, who had to recover from a slow start, passing the half mile.

After turning for home three lengths clear, MR. SKILL kept on dourly from below the distance to stave off the fast-finishing pair of COMMANDER ZERO and MACHISMO, on the wide outside, by three-quarter length and a neck.

A stewards' inquiry resulted, but after a 10-minute wait, the result was allowed to stand. When contacted, a member of the stewards' panel disclosed that the inquiry was against MR. SKILL who, coming from post position number five, appeared to have interfered with COMMANDER ZERO at the start. Both horses are conditioned by champion trainer Wayne DaCosta.

When asked about the inquiry, Sergeon said she wasn't sure if her horse had caused any interference, as he left the gates so fast. However, she added that she gave the horse a good winning chance, having ridden him to victory over a similar trip on Easter Monday.

"I have worked him regularly at exercise and knew he was the fastest horse in the field. When he turned for home full of running, I was confident he would blast home," explained Sergeon. She had a second winner on the card, a 5-2 chance GETUPANDGO for trainer Richard Azan in the sixth race for maiden three-year-olds.

As a result, Sergeon who started riding on September 2 last year, has ridden a total of 11 winners. She is no longer eligible to claim 4.0kg, but rather 3.0kg.

Meanwhile, apprentice Jevvanne Erwin, who graduate from the Jockeys' School along with Sergeon in a batch of 19, highlighted the 10-race programme with three winners in RUN SMILE RUN at 3-1 for in form trainer Ryan Darby in the second race, MYSTERY MAN at 8-5 for Darby's father, Robert Darby Sr in the fourth, and DANCING SAM at 7-2 for trainer Deon Facey in the closing Alex's Dig Out Handicap over the straight.

Fellow apprentice Aaron Chatrie rode two winners and narrowly missed a third when EL DIABLO (5-1) just failed to catch REDEMPTION SON in the seventh.