WAGON Wheel, a 5-2 bet, came from off the pace to win the $715,000 Flossie McNeil Memorial Cup feature by a 1 1/2 under Dane Nelson at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Owned by Clinton Rhoden, Wagon Wheel ran 1200 metres in a time of 1:14.4 to shed his non-winner’s of two tag among Restricted Allowance native-bred three-year-olds upward fillies and mares.

Straight A’s, a 9-1 chance ridden by Trevor Simpson, finished second after leading for most of the way, while the 1-2 morning line favourite, Inst She Somethin, who failed to go the earlies, came charging late to show, ridden by Aaron Chatrie. Dalla Fifty, ridden by Shane Ellis, completed the frame as a 12-1 shot in the field of 12.

Trained by Patrick Lynch, Wagon Wheel stalked the pace as Terra Marique under claiming apprentice Richard Cole and JJ’s Empress, ridden by another claiming apprentice, Arthur Budhu, tried valiantly to wrestle the lead from Straight A’s.

Leaving the 800 metres pole, Nelson began to urge his mount on to be right on their heels entering the 500m marker.

With the three frontrunners tightly bunched, Nelson chose the outside run. Rounding the quarter bend three wide, Wagon Wheel was set alight by his rider to get on terms with Straight A’s, who had dismissed Terra Marique just before turning for home.

But JJ’s Empress seemed to have had a dream which was shattered when the eventual winner came calling and gained the ascendancy close home from Straight A’s.

A Chestnut filly by Region Of Merit out of Don’t Call Us (Phone Trick) and bred by Premiere Productions Ltd, Wagon Wheel’s second win from nine career starts earned for the filly $390,400 as the winner’s share for earnings of $1,301,200 lifetime.

Meanwhile, no trainer saddled more than a single winner of the nine-race cardn but Shane rode a three-timer to cut Dick Cardenas’ lead to two.

Ellis’ three wins moved his tally to 76, while Cardenas, who himself had two successes, moved his tally to 78.

Ellis had the leg up on the even money favourite Italiano for champion and leading trainer Wayne DaCosta in the first race, the 3-2 chance Only Begotten Son in the third for owner/trainer Patrick Smellie, and closed the programme with the 5-1 betting option Classy Kelly for trainer Phillip Elliott.

Cardenas’ winners were the 7-2 bet Yeswecan for part-owner/trainer Owen Sharpe in the fifth race and the 7-5 chance Sweet Trail for trainer Patrick Chang in the seventh.