Nelson triumphs in feature

Orville Clarke, Sunday Gleaner Writer

The progressive American 3-y-o colt MIKENIFICENT completed the hat-trick at Caymanas Park yesterday with an emphatic victory in the overnight allowance feature for the Kenneth Mattis O.D. Trophy over 2000 metres.

Sent off a 9-5 second favourite in a field of 13, MIKENIFICENT, with topline jockey Dane Nelson again the saddle, assumed the lead from evens favourite HOMBRE early in the straight and moved away to win by seven lengths from another 9-5 chance PRINCE ROHAN under title-chasing jockey Dick Cardenas.

MIKENIFICENT is owned by Michael Howard and trained by Dwight Chen. New trainer Oneil 'Sweet Man' Markland, an associate of the trainer, said: "He has come on tremendously in recent months and being the only three-year-old in the field, we felt he had the legs to put them away, despite the presence of down-in-class Hombre, who is getting on in age," said Markland.

"It should be recalled that Mikenificent won in the smart time of 1:38.4 over a mile with 57.0kg a fortnight earlier and I think it would be fair to say he's going places," added Markland.

Dream start

Meanwhile, recent graduate Lorenzo Robinson made a dream start to his training career when posting his first winner with his first runner - BEST DIRECTOR - in the day's secondary feature for the Winnie Anglin Memorial Cup for maiden two-year-old fillies over the round-five course.

Always prominent as Nelson's mount LITTLE THUNDER made most, BEST DIRECTOR (Paul Francis up) ran through early in the straight to win by six lengths from 8-1 chance EXOTIC GOLD and I'M ALLWRIGHT in a field of 13.

A chestnut filly by Film Director out of Best Decorated, BEST DIRECTOR, who was the 1-4 favourite on this her third outing, is owned by Robin's Spring Park Stud Farm in St Elizabeth and bred by Robinson, who was among a batch of 23 new trainers which graduated on September 8 after successfully competing the JRC course.

On a day when Nelson rode two winners and the American filly HARLAN'S DANCER scored a stunning upset (45-1) in the fifth race, the three-cornered race for the jockeys' championship was as tight as ever, with only one win separating Shane Ellis and Dick Cardenas (66 wins each) and reigning champion Omar Walker on 65. Each rode one winner on the 10-race card.