EDMONTON – Three-time defending champion Rico Walcott and rising stars Nela Mohammed and Damario Bynoe landed double wins as Caribbean riders dominated the eight-race card at Northlands Park on Saturday.
Walcott, closing in on his fourth straight jockeys’ title, rode winners in race six with Stormy Indian and race seven with Wild Crush, to take his tally for the season to 135 wins.
Trinidadian Mohammed, meanwhile, chalked up victories in race two with Seeking The Target and in race four with Kiss Me Goodbye. He has 22 wins from 147 starts.
Bynoe, the 23-year-old Barbadian in his first season of international racing, found the winners’ enclosure in race one with Rouge On Rouge and in race five with Pigtails.
Bynoe is tied for third in the standings with Ismael Mosqueira on 45 wins.
The Northlands season winds up next Saturday.
Already assured of the riding title, Walcott continued to press towards his career best tally of 148 wins set last season.
On Saturday, he opened his account over a mile and sixteenth with favourite Stormy Indian, steering the three-year-old filly to a comfortable five-length victory over the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares.
He followed up with another dominant ride aboard 3-1 chance Wild Crush, beating the favourite Classic Crusader by 1-1/4 lengths in a contest also over a mile and sixteenth.
Walcott and Wild Crush recovered from a stumble at the start to trail the field but made good progress to reach the front in mid-stretch and hold for the win.
Mohammed, who has had limited participation at Northlands, first scored in a 3-1/2 furlong dash with 3-1 bet Seeking The Target and was more impressive in his score with favourite Kiss Me Goodbye, taking the five-year-old mare to strong five-length win over the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares, in a mile trip.
Bynoe, meanwhile, raised the curtain on the day’s programme by steering Rouge On Rouge – the longest shot in the race at odds of 12-1 – to a three-quarter length victory over the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares, going a mile.
He returned the winners’ enclosure with hot favourite Pigtails, again brushing aside the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares in another mile trip, winning by 7-1/2 lengths. (CMC)
