Slogan cruises in Gladiator Trophy

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

TAKING OVER the lead a furlong out, SLOGAN streaked away to an easy victory in the open allowance feature for the Gladiator Trophy over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. Offering odds of 5-1 with five-time champion Trevor Simpson riding for owner/trainer Clifford C. Atkinson, SLOGAN was ridden to chase tearaway leader ENGLISH STORM (3-1), under veteran jockey Everton Miller, from soon after the start.

The pair was tracked by 5-2 favourite IT IS I, fellow 5-2 chance RAMPAGE and IL CAIMANO (18-1) in the nine-strong field.

Serious chase

SLOGAN went in serious chase of ENGLISH STORM, leaving the half mile. He turned for home breathing down his neck, eventually gaining the ascendancy from below the distance to win by 4 1/4 lengths from the late-closing LIKKLE BIT (7-2), posting his second consecutive win over the distance in the process.

"I told the jockey that I had a winner for him and it turned out to be an armchair ride," said Atkinson.

"I knew this horse was a soup after he clocked 1:25.1 over the same distance on Superstakes Day (November 8). They would have to run 24 and fraction to beat him and although he was up in class today, I had every confidence in his ability to win again," said Atkinson, who is also the breeder of SLOGAN.

The four-year-old bay colt by Outrigger, out of the Wise Emissary mare Pretty Lady, has now won four races from 12 starts this season. In all, he has won seven races from 20 career starts with lifetime earnings of $2.5 million.

Favourite obliges

Earlier in the afternoon, 5-2 favourite HAIL THE GENIUS ran on strongly to win the Glen T. Williamson Cup secondary feature over 2000 metres in a driving finish from DUE PROCESS (5-1), who was always prominent.

Trained by Gary Subratie for owner/breeder Raphael Gordon, HAIL THE GENIUS, a four-year-old bay gelding by Hail Orphan out of Ingenius, was ridden by visiting Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas who had a second winner on the eight-race card in the Percy Hussey-trained PROGRESSIVE (4-1) in the first race for two-year-olds.

In this race, the howling favourite, UNBRIDLED RUNNER, decked jockey Shane Ellis on leaving the gates.

YOSHI, with Everton Miller up, won Race No. 5 in the CTL second series, this over the straight five course. Offering odds of 6-1, the five-year-old gelding from the stables of Barry Dawes stormed through on the stands' side a furlong out to win by 5 1/2 lengths.