Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
CAPTAIN BONE, with Oneil Mullings aboard, romps to victory in the W. 'Billy' Pick Memorial Cup feature over 2000 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
TITLE-CHASING jockey Dane Nelson rode three winners at Caymanas Park yesterday to stay in touch of the leader, champion jockey Omar Walker, who weighed in with a double on the 11-race card.
Nelson, whose grandfather Horatio Nelson was also a jockey in the '60s, signalled his intentions from the second race over 1300 metres aboard 9-2 chance SECRET HIDEAWAY, the Wayne DaCosta-trained gelding making all to stave off stable companion and favourite RIGGED TO WIN with Walker astride.
He followed with another post-to-post victory aboard the DaCosta-trained, even-money favourite CHADMAN in the open allowance race over 1400 metres, then closed the programme with an upset win aboard the 39-1 outsider WHEELS OF LAW in Race No. 5 of the CTL Claiming Series ($210,000 and less) over the straight five course. WHEELS OF LAW was saddled by veteran trainer Robert Darby Sr.
six adrift of Walker
As a result of this three-timer, Nelson has pushed his season's tally to 48 - six adrift of Walker who won aboard 2-1 chance THE REBEL in the fourth race over the straight and 9-2 shot SOUND OF SPEED in the circular nine race (non winners of two) for four-year-olds and up. Trailing Walker and Nelson is the 2000 champion jockey Shane Ellis who moved to 44 after booting home the Percy Hussey-trained SEA PATROL (7-2) in the ninth race over the straight.
Five-time champion Trevor Simpson, who missed the first two months of the season while abroad, rode two winners in unbeaten 2-5 favourite PURE SILK for 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny in the first race and STRONG DELIVERY at 2-1 for trainer Gary Subratie in the third (high claiming) over 1820 metres.
Also riding two winners was Andron Findley, a 2002 graduate of the Jockeys' Training School who, since the advent of the last batch of apprentices in the summer of 2006, has seldom been among the winners.
rare double
However, Findley who is a past student of Jamaica College and also secretary of the Jamaica Jockeys' Guild, came into his own by winning the sixth race aboard 10-1 shot SAMBA DANCER for veteran trainer Sydney Watson and two races later completed a rare double with 3-1 chance POWER GLITZ over the straight five course.
Findley, who also finished second aboard 89-1 outsider I AM I AM in the race won by THE REBEL, said he was relieved, but said this turn of good fortune was not by accident.
"I have worked hard to reach this stage and I am happy that it has paid off. My hope is that I will continue to get decent rides and this will enable me to re-establish myself," said Findley. Meanwhile, CAPTAIN BONE, running at odds of 2-1 with Oneil Mullings riding for trainer Christopher Morrison, won the W. 'Billy' Pick Memorial Cup feature (claiming $325,000 - $295,000) over 2000 metres by 1 3/4 lengths from fellow 2-1 chance SHAHID, with Walker astride. The American 7-y-o horse assumed the lead from PRINCESSJACQUELINE on the inside approaching the half mile and made the rest comfortably.
