Charles Hussey

FOUR-TIME champion jockey, Charles Hussey, rode the three-year-old debutante filly, Aero Commander, to victory in the $300,000 Eight Thirty Sprint feature over straight five course in the nine-race programme at Caymanas Park yesterday.

The chestnut filly by Prime Rate Powers out of the Forsythe Boy imported mare, For My Jet, is trained by brother, Percy, and owned by his mother, Ruth.

A half sister to the speedy 2000 Oaks and Lotto winner Aero Star, Aero Commander -- unraced as a two-year-old -- won by a diminishing one length from Molten Lava (Paul Francis) in a time of 101.2

It was the first victory for the Husseys since jockey, Charles, complained to the stewards at Caymanas Park that a threat was made on his life in the Caymanas car park just before he was to ride in a race some weeks ago.

The secondary Lester Davidson Memorial Cup feature for $100,000 claimers (3-y-o & Up) for a purse of $200,000 over the five round course went to Mediator (Ramon Parish up) for trainer, Fernando Geddes, and owner, Patrick Smellie.

Mediator, a 5-y-o bay gelding by Bet A Buck out of the Restless Thief mare Rain Forrest, won by a neck from the 4-y-o bay filly, Purple Sky (Shane Ellis) in a time of 1:02.1 to give former champion apprentice Parish his first win for the season.

Earlier, recent graduate apprentice rider, Dane Nelson, escaped serious injury when he fell from his mount Guardian Angel in the fourth race on the programme. He sustained a bruise below his left eye and did not take any further part in the programme. He is reported to be resting comfortably with no immediate effects from the fall.

Shane Ellis aboard Crucial Times in the fourth race for trainer, Rupert Ferryman, and Clive Lynch astride Clifford Atkinson Jnr's Dancing Jinsky in the seventh, had one win each on the programme.

Ellis moved his tally to eight wins which keeps him ahead of the jockeys standings by two with both Lynch and champion, Trevor Simpson, second with six wins. Simpson has not ridden at Caymanas on the last two race days and is expected to be away from the local scene for at least another two weeks.

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