High Society upsets at 76-1 in feature

Orville Clarke, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Trainer Ray Phillips, who notched his first career win when BDELLIUM won on the previous Saturday, posted the 76-1 outsider HIGH SOCIETY to a stunning upset in the James B. Dawes Memorial Trophy (claiming $450,000 - $400,000) over 1,300 metres, feature event at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Piloted by 'ghost rider' Dick Cardenas for A&S Racing Stables, the five-year-old mare by Vanadium out of I'm A Country Girl won by three lengths from 5-1 chance PLATINUM VALLEY who outfinished the very fit LATIN KING (7-1) by a head for second in a field of 13.

Never far off the pace as the grey SKIPPING SUE made most, HIGH SOCIETY started her winning run from the half mile, went second leaving the 600-metre pole and circled SKIPPING SUE entering the straight for a decisive win.

Her huge odds could be attributed to the fact that most punters were unaware that in-form Cardenas would have ridden her, as she had a JNE (jockey not eligible) beside her name in the official racebook.

Bred by YS (1955) Limited, HIGH SOCIETY had previously won over 1,820 metres on November 20 last year. She was then trained by Wilfred Chin.

Phillips was quietly confident that she could win, but never in his wildest dream did he expect the horse to be despised in the betting to the tune of 76-1, paying over $3,000 to win.

"She ran well for a long way behind Guan Yu in better company some weeks ago, so we decided to drop her in class, programme her for this race and things worked out," explained Phillips, who prior to obtaining a licence three years ago, was assistant to Percy Hussey.

Scintillating performance

Later in the afternoon, the sparingly raced but talented American 4-y-o colt, DOUBLE THE HONEY, turned in a scintillating performance to win the 3-y-o and up open allowance race over 1,300 metres by 3¹/² lengths, in the fairly good time of 1:18.3.

Installed an even-money favourite in a field of 12, DOUBLE THE HONEY, racing for the first time since August of last year, with champion jockey Omar Walker riding for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, chased early leader THE CHIEF before going by approaching the home turn. Thereafter, the issue was never in doubt, as he kept on strongly to record his sixth win from only seven career starts. The highly fancied pair of MINISTEROFJUSTICE (7-2) and the progressive Canadian mare PRICELESS BEAUTY (2-1) were left to battle it out for second.

Omar Walker (Double The Honey, Live Water) and Cardenas (High Society, Merit's Brite Lite) shared the riding honours with two winners each, while 14-time champion trainer, Philip Feanny, saddled two winners in odds-on favourites AWILDSHEWILD and the American bred 3-y-o debutante CLEVER CHEROKEE, who romped the 3-y-o maiden condition sprint with leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths aboard.