Nelson stars with four-timer

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

In-form jockey Dane Nelson highlighted yesterday's nine-race programme at Caymanas Park, booting home a fabulous four-timer to move into second position in the jockeys' standings.

His winners on what was the first leg of the two-day Super Weekend of racing programme, which continues today with the 32nd running of the CTL Superstakes, were odds-on favourite TRICKY TRAIN in the first race, OUR DEELITE at 2-1 in the second, the 3-5 favourite COBRA in the sixth and 2-5 favourite LATIN KING in the closing race over 1400 metres, for the Yvonne Mattis Trophy.

As a result of his latest windfall, Nelson has overtaken top apprentice Aaron Chatrie (57 wins) for second in the jockeys' standings.

Chatrie has been sidelined for the past five weeks from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

Popularly called the 'Warrior King' owing to his aggressive style of riding, Nelson has so far ridden 58 winners - 37 adrift of leading jockey Omar Walker (95), who managed only one winner on the card in 7-5 chance LUSCIOUS, for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta in the Abbie Grannum Memorial Cup feature for maiden two-year-olds over 1400 metres.

Walker had to work overtime in order to beat the even-money favourite WAR HERO by half a length in a driving finish, after chasing the front-running WAR HERO from a long way out and gaining the ascendancy in the last 50 metres.

Meanwhile, five women were honoured by Caymanas Track Limited yesterday for their sterling contribution to the racing industry for 30 and 40 years.

Milestones

They were retired Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) steward Joy Hunt, 90-year-old Cynthia March, who still visits the track as a long-standing member of the Jockey Club; Yvonne Mattis, wife of seven-time champion trainer Kenneth Mattis, as well as Barbara Hewitt and Fay Armond, both of whom combined have worked with the promoting company for close to 80 years.

Each was publicly recognised with a race in their honour and all were presented with commemorative plaques.

Two jockeys attained personal milestones on the card. Five-time champion Trevor Simpson notched his 1,400th career win aboard the 15-1 outsider RUSSIAN COMMANDER, in the seventh race over 1100 metres. And earlier in the afternoon, Jason Simpson chalked up his 100th win aboard the front-running debutante RIVIERE, in the third race as the 3-4 favourite.