Rico on way to best stats

EDMONTON – Barbadian Rico Walcott rode four winners at Northlands Park on Friday, to move within touching distance of a career-best haul at the western Canada racing oval.

The three-time defending champion, already assured of a fourth consecutive title, dominated the eight-race card with victories in race one with favourite Flattering Life, race two with Never Lose Hope, race three with Giants Cuss and race seven with Election Vow.

Caribbean riders grabbed wins in three of the other four races, with Barbadians Quincy Welch and Chris Husbands, along with Trinidadian Nela Mohammed, reaching the winners’ enclosure.

Walcott sits atop the colony with 133 victories, 15 shy of his career-best 148 set last season. Scott Williams lies second on 68.

With the season here wrapping up next Saturday, Walcott has the chance to improve on his current tally in the race days remaining.

Walcott wasted precious little time in getting off the mark, carrying Flattering Life to a 2-1/4 length victory over the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares, going 6-1/2 furlongs.

He stalked from the outside with the three-year-old chestnut filly before getting to the front at the top of the stretch.

In race two over six furlongs, Walcott stalked early on with the two-year-old chestnut colt Never Lose Hope before pressing on the backstretch and gaining the lead, and running on strongly to blow away the two-year-olds by 8-1/2 lengths.

Walcott posted his third straight win aboard the 2-1 favourite Giants Cuss, in a 5-1/2 furlong sprint for the two-year-olds.

He duelled with Queens Hombre through the first quarter, grabbed the lead in the final turn and drew off to reach the wire 4-3/4 lengths clear.

Walcott wrapped up his fourth win in a mile and sixteenth trip for the three-year-olds and upward, stalking the duelling pair of Firefly Bay and Passion Red, before getting to the front just after the half-mile marker and racing clear to win by 2-1/4 lengths. (CMC)