Close call - Halledeen survives showboating blunder to guide Will In Charge to Diamond Mile victory

High drama marked yesterday's Diamond Mile at Caymanas Park as the defending champion and favourite, SHE'S A MANEATER, was declared a late non-starter after bolting prior to the start.

Afterwards, the connections of the winner, WILL IN CHARGE, had to endure tortuous minutes, awaiting the photo-finish to know whether showboating jockey Robert Halledeen had lost the event, oblivious to a fast-finishing BIGDADDYKOOL, who failed by a short head down along the rail.

"I will have to have a serious talk with him," owner Wilbert Bagwandeen said after the event for which WILL IN CHARGE earned $6.6 million, practically sealing the Horse of the Year title following his smashing victory in October's Gold Cup.

SHE'S A MANEATER's painful scratch, sparked by PEKING CRUZ, who tumbled in the gate and, while thrashing around, repeatedly kicked the filly, which led to her being backed out, during which she manhandled the gate attendant and broke loose.

SCARY SCENE

It was a scary scene as SHE'S A MANEATER galloped a furlong before jumping the dummy rail, landing on the infield where she afterwards ran towards parked vehicles.

She avoided a collision but ran chest-on into the evergreen lining the walkway from the infield to the track, after which she galloped three furlongs along the jogging path before being caught.

With SHE'S A MANEATER declared a late non-starter, along with PEKING CRUZ, and that drama out of the way, punters unbelievably watched as Halledeen stopped riding and stood tall in the saddle after taking over from CHACE THE GREAT, not realising that BIGDADDYKOOL was charging home along the rail.

"It was a mistake. It was stupid, but you learn from your mistakes," he said after the charged atmosphere was broken by the placement on the tote board showing WILL IN CHARGE as the winner by a short head.

Had BIGDADDYKOOL caught WILL IN CHARGE, the trainers' championship being fought between Anthony Nunes and champion Wayne DaCosta, SHE'S A MANEATER's trainer, would have been foregone conclusion to the challenger, who now leads the contest by what could be an unassailable $2.24 million.

Nunes, who started the day $961,650 behind DaCosta, won four events on the massive 14-race card, while his rival picked up three.

Nunes' big haul was earning $2.2 million for second in the Diamond Mile while none of DaCosta's six runners made the frame after SHE'S A MANEATER bolted.

It was as-you-were in the jockeys' championship as Cardenas and leading rider Anthony Thomas each rode two winners, maintaining a nine-win difference in the standings.

Apprentice Tevin Foster and Dane Nelson also had two winners, dominating races two to five with back-to-back winners, respectively.

Racing continues at Caymanas Park on Saturday as the season winds down. Six race meets remain to decide the respective championships.