Walker, Cardenas share honours

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Champion jockey Omar Walker and the Panamanian, Dick Cardenas, shared the riding honours at Caymanas Park yesterday with three winners each on the eight-race programme, Cardenas winning the open allowance race in a driving finish aboard 3-5 favourite PRINCE THEO.

He also won with 7-2 chance, SALUTE TO MOM, for trainer Patrick Lynch in the opening race over 1200 metres; and the remarkable grey gelding, NASATOL, at 5-1 for trainer Lazel Khwalsingh in the fourth race (high claiming) over 1200 metres, to top the 50-winner mark this season.

Walker, on the other hand, opened his account aboard 9-5 chance, STORM TRACKER, for trainer Robert Darby Sr in the second race over 1200 metres; followed up with the Richie Todd-trained 8-1 chance, ALEXANDRA's SPIRIT, who won the sixth race over 1200 metres in a driving finish from 8-5 favourite, COLEMAN'S ROCK; and rounded off the triple aboard 5-2 chance, GRAND CABARET, for trainer Spencer Chung in the closing Alex's Imports 'Dig Out' Handicap, over 1600 metres.

Jockeys' championship

Walker, on the back of a fabulous four-timer last Saturday, pushed his season's tally to 90 and is well on course to win a fourth consecutive jockeys' championship, having moved 33 clear of closest rival, apprentice Aaron Chatrie, who has been sidelined for the past month with a hip injury, sustained in a motor vehicle accident in Portmore.

Meanwhile, NASATOL won his ninth race of the season by running on strongly to catch and beat long-time leader, NATURALLY ROYAL, by 1¹/² lengths in the fourth race, contested by six starters.

The eight-year-old gelding, who was joint second with the legendary sprinter, EROS, on the all-time list for most wins, notched his 30th career win to be a clear second to MASTER BLASTER, who holds the record for most wins, 34.

"It's only a matter of time now before he catches up with MASTER BLASTER," said Khwalsingh. "This horse is part of history in the making and I am happy to be associated with him at this point in time.

"I was thrilled to hear that he was not claimed and I am hoping to win another race with him in the near future," said Khwalsingh, who told Cardenas to warm up the horse extensively before the race, and this had the desired effect.

Meanwhile, the Victor Williams-trained DYNAMIC MOVE (9-5) made virtually all under Devon 'Pappa' Thomas, to win the Lester Sanders Memorial Cup feature over 1400 metres for maiden two-year-olds in a driving finish from the Cardenas-ridden 4-5 favourite, ERASMO.