Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Omar Walker
CHAMPION JOCKEY Omar Walker celebrated his 25th birthday in style at Caymanas Park yesterday with three winners, including ALLIEDFORCE in the open allowance feature for the Zaleucus Trophy over 1800 metres.
With leading jockey Shane Ellis going winless on the 12-race programme, Walker seized the opportunity to make serious inroads into his lead. He has so far ridden 25 winners to hold down second position, only two behind the 2000 champion jockey Ellis.
In addition to the 2-1 marginal favourite ALLIEDFORCE, Walker won aboard 4-5 favourite SATISFIER for trainer Dennis Lee in the third race over 1400 metres and 5-2 shot TWENTY NINE for trainer Alden Francis in the ninth over the straight five course. SATISFIER and TWENTY NINE made all to emerge easy winners, but ALLIEDFORCE had to pull out all stops in order to win by half a length from 7-2 chance JACK SPARROW in a driving finish.
Owned by Donald Williams and trained by the quiet veteran Noel Ennevor, ALLIEDFORCE, who won both the Governor's Cup and St Leger over 2000 metres as a three-year-old in 2006, was held just off the early pace in fifth position as rank outsider TRACK STAR (99-1) led for the first half of the race before giving way to the Shane Ellis-ridden FIRST IN THE SAND (2-1).
Wilted under pressure
But after turning for home just ahead of JACK SPARROW on the inside and ALLIEDFORCE on the outside, FIRST IN THE SAND wilted under the pressure in the last furlong, giving way to the two stalkers. And under a bustling ride from Walker, ALLIEDFORCE gained the ascendancy in the last 100 metres for a narrow victory.
Walker, who rode four winners the previous Saturday, has now ridden seven in the past two race days. "It's nice to ride a triple and also win the feature race on my birthday and, all in all, I am happy with my riding," Walker said.
"I'm getting back to maximum fitness and with the momentum coming back, I think I have a good shot at winning the championship again," added the 2kg claiming apprentice, who won the title in his first full season in the saddle last year with 95 winners, said. He is entitled to his 2kg claiming allowance until May 12.
Meanwhile, unbeaten three-year-old colt SUPER DAVE, with leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths riding for 14-time trainer Philip Feanny, humbled last season's champion 2-y-o THE REAL STREAM over 1400 metres.
SUPER DAVE (2-5 fav) made all to be unbeaten in four starts, but had to be ridden out to win in a driving finish from the 34-1 outsider GOOD CITIZEN with Devon A. Thomas aboard. Six ran.
THE REAL STREAM (3-5) could only manage fourth on his seasonal debut and all is apparently not right with the roan gelding from the stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta.
