Champion rider gets hat-trick at Caymanas

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Champion and leading jockey Omar Walker rode three winners at Caymanas Park yesterday, among them the unbeaten American colt DOUBLE THE HONEY, who ticked off win number four in the overnight allowance sprint.

Installed a howling 1-9 favourite in a field of 12, the 3-y-o bay colt from the stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta was early in the lead ahead of FIRST TIME LUCKY, but had to be driven out in the last furlong to win by 1 1/4 lengths from 24-1 outsider THE REAL STREAM, who raced prominently into the straight under in-form apprentice Aaron Chatrie.

Having stamped himself as one of the dominant imported horses at the park, it was expected that DOUBLE THE HONEY would have made short work of his opponents on this his first outing since putting away RONRON in a fast-run race over this trip on April 5 (Easter Monday).

After cruising into the straight on the bridle some two lengths clear of THE REAL STREAM, however, DOUBLE THE HONEY began to labour approaching the distance and Walker had to roll him over and resort to the whip in order to bring him home safely.

His time of 1:12.2 was a far cry from the 1:11.1 he returned for the same distance in his previous race on April 5.

Not razor sharp

Since then DOUBLE THE HONEY experienced a setback and only returned from a 3 1/2-month respite yesterday. As a result, he was not razor sharp for the race and trainer DaCosta alluded to this fact by commenting after the race that he was "about 75 per cent himself".

Walker, who has been suspended this Wednesday's race meet, also won aboard the 4-5 chance PALACE GOLD for trainer Howard Jaghai in the opening race for two-year-olds and the DaCosta-trained 9-5 favourite REGGAE PRINCESS, who made all in the fourth race (non-winners of two) over 1200 metres.

Long lead

Racing for only the second time, PALACE GOLD opened a long lead in the 800-metre race over the straight, and although eased by Walker in the last furlong, still had 4¹/² lengths to spare over the debutants BLENDER and 3-4 favourite WINCHESTER, heads on in the six-strong field.

The nine-race programme produced six winning favourites. Among them was the sparingly raced three-year-old filly SEA DEVIL at 2-5. She returned from a near one-year absence to romp the seventh race over 1100 metres for three-year-old fillies.

The Law Of The Sea offspring was ridden by the season's top apprentice Aaron Chatrie for trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes and Barbadian owner Elias Haloute, who was present at the track.