Triple puts Walker on heels of leaders

Orville Clarke, Sunday Gleaner Writer

The race for the jockeys' championship tightened considerably at Caymanas Park yesterday, with reigning champion Omar Walker notching three winners to be only one adrift of joint leaders Shane Ellis and Dick Cardenas.

Starting the day on 61 wins, Walker, having secured as many as nine rides on the 10-race programme, won aboard the even-money favourite LIKKLE BIT for trainer Anthony Subratie in the third race (high claiming) over 1600 metres.

He followed up aboard another evens favourite, GWENNNIETHEBUTCHER, in a tight photo finish for trainer Patrick Chang in the fifth race, Division I of the 3-y-o maiden condition race for the Donald Tankoy Memorial Cup; then closed the three-timer with an easy win atop 1-4 favourite, POTCHEEN, for trainer Ian Parsard in the sixth race for maiden three-year-olds, to end the day on 64 wins.

With the leader Shane Ellis having sat out day two of a two-day suspension, Cardenas seized the opportunity to join him in the lead on 65 apiece, after winning the fourth race aboard 9-2 chance, SPLITTING IMAGE, for trainer Norman Palmer.

Meanwhile, Division II of the Donald Tankoy Memorial Cup provided an easy victory for the lightly raced filly, DALLA FIFTY (3-1), the first of two winners for in-form jockey Dane Nelson on the card.

Highly fancied

Always prominent as MAHALET led from highly fancied RIBBON IN THE SKY and FULLJOY, DALLA FIFTY got the inside run into the straight and soon disposed of MAHALET, to win by five lengths from RIBBON IN THE SKY in a field of 11. DALLA FIFTY is owned by Ballydoyle and trained by Andrew McDonald.

Later in the afternoon, TURBINE (7-2), with former champion Trevor Simpson aboard, capitalised on the absence of ante-post favourite, JET SETTER (lame), to win the War Zone Sprint over 1100 metres for native bred three-year-olds in decisive fashion.

Prominently placed in third as the 9-5 favourite BLENDER led in tearaway fashion, TURBINE closed readily leaving the furlong pole, going by BLENDER midway through the last furlong to win by two lengths from stable-companion, THE MESSENGER (2-1), with Walker astride.

Trained by Richard Azan, TURBINE raced in the orange and green silks of champion owners Elite Bloodstock Limited.