Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

LATIN KING, ridden by the apprentice Jason Simpson, romps home in the Tewfic Ziadie Memorial Cup feature over 1820 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

CHAMPION JOCKEY Omar Walker enjoyed his best day in the saddle this season with four winners at Caymanas Park yesterday.

In the process, Walker, who turns 25 next Saturday , upstaged leading jockey Shane Ellis who rode three winners on the 11-race programme and advanced his tally to 10 in the past three race days.

With the other title-chasing jockey, Dane Nelson, failing to ride a winner on the programme, Walker, a 2kg claiming apprentice, seized the opportunity to move into second with 22 winners, five adrift of Ellis who enjoyed armchair rides aboard three Anthony Nunes-trained horses, EVANDER, CENTANNI and LADY INDIRA.

Walker's four-timer comprised odds-on favourite MAMBO in the third race over 2000 metres, RED I at 2-1 in the seventh over the straight five course, the three-year-old debutante FIRST LADY a 6-5 favourite in the eighth and MEDICAL REPORT at 3-1 in the 10th race over 1200 metres for open allowance horses.

Disqualified

MEDICAL REPORT, a disqualified winner after passing the post first in the Abe Issa Memorial Cup over 1200 metres on February 9, rebound nicely to win in a driving finish from the 1-2 favourite CLOCK WORK (Nelson up), who failed in his bid to make all.

CLOCK WORK, edging down in class, was closely tracked by MEDICAL REPORT entering the straight and in the ensuring duel from below the distance, MEDICAL REPORT responded to a strong ride from Walker to gain the ascendancy in the last furlong, winning by three-quarters of a length in a field of seven.

A seven-year-old bay gelding by The Medic out of Princess Ellen, MEDICAL REPORT is owned by Cleveland Mitchell and trained by Noel Ennevor who felt the prevailing underfoot conditions caused by mid-afternoon showers, helped his charge. "When I saw the conditions become wet, I knew he would be harder to beat, as he enjoys a sloppy track," said the veteran trainer.

"This is a horse who continues to win races despite the fact that he is lightly trained. I condition him on the ring but he keeps fit just the same. I knew he had a good chance of beating the class horse Clock Work, as Clock Work had run under a big weight in the Eros Trophy the previous Saturday and was coming back a bit quickly," said Ennevor.

Second trophy

Meanwhile, LATIN KING, running as the 4-5 favourite with apprentice Jason Simpson riding for trainer Ryan Darby and owners O'Shaun Connection, romped the day's circular nine feature for the Tewfic Ziadie Memorial Cup (claiming $380,000 - $330,000) to secure his second trophy of the season.

The five-year-old horse had previously won the Altamont V. Armond Memorial Cup over 2000 metres on January 12.