Former six-time champion Omar Damian Walker, “Champo” to his fans, was the toast of the fraternity as featured on the nine-race programme, was an appropriately titled Trophy staged to honour his extraordinary record-breaking exploits.
Walker’s main patron was late 18-time champion Wayne DaCosta, but the modest reinsman piloted Classic winners for Ian Parsard, Richard Azan and Lorne Kirlew. Walker is also in the Caymanas 1000-plus winners’ club alongside greats Winston Griffiths, Emelio Rodriquez, Charles Hussey, Shane Ellis and Dane Nelson.
Run as race seven, the Omar Walker Trophy had a predictable outcome . The 1-5 bet Legacy Isle (USA), two-time winner up North, a neck second in 2024 Mouttet Mile Invitational and conditioned by Rohan Crichton, controlled the pace of the five furlongs round event to score by nearly five lengths easing down. The assistance of rider Tevin Foster was unnecessary throughout.
Reyan Lewis, the 2023 champion jockey was aboard the first of two winners declared by former three-time champion Anthony Nunes.
Three-year-old maiden filly Perfect Affair struck the front entering the last of the six furlongs of race two to score by nearly three lengths.
Nunes’ second came in race two as the 2011 champion Dick Cardenas had Battle Angel (6-1) one length in front at the end of the testing eight furlongs trip.
Race three for maiden four-year-old and upwards and run over five furlongs straight, went to 5-1 bet Bomb Night ridden by claimer Rickie Shakes for trainer Captain Marlon Brown, who has now assumed the role of president of the United Racehorse Trainers Association of Jamaica (URTAJ). Rightfully all must be optimistic and confident that Brown, a trained leader, will be an effective representative and negotiator as there are several issues to be resolved.
Run over same course as race three, in the fourth another claimer Emelio McLean demonstrated his competence aboard four-length winner Ridge Liner (9-2), saddled by Winston Morris. The fifth event went to KP Choice (5-2) declared by Gregg Fennell with very experienced claimer Shavon Townsend executing the riding honours to win the five-and-a-half-furlong-gallop by just under three lengths.
In race six, 8-5 favourite Cappuccino fell in the closing stages resulting in an injury to Dane Dawkins. The 2022 champion was unable to ride for the remainder of day and was not cleared to ride in seven races 24 hours later. The event, run over the five furlongs round trip, was won by Heiroffire (9-2) ridden by Phillip Parchment for trainer Steven Todd and long-standing and knowledgeable owner Garth Samuels.
Passing the post first at 13-1 only to be disqualified over a similar trip in February Nephew (USA) was back over the six-and-a-half-furlong course of today’s eight. Claimer Demar Williams, perhaps the most advanced of the 2024 Jamaica Racing Commission Riding School graduates, brought the Owen Sharpe conditioned three-year-old colt with a well-timed run on the far rails to score by just over one length at odds of 7-2.
Owned by trainer Patrick Taylor and ridden by Javaniel Patterson 5-1 chance Happy Force was three parts of a length better than his nearest rival at the same price as Louis Richards’ Galopin De Veloz (Oneil Scott) over the seven furlongs of the ninth and closing event.
