Omar Walker ... rode three winners yesterday. - file
CHAMPION trainer Wayne DaCosta had his 'fan appreciation day' yesterday, saddling four winners at Caymanas Park, three of them ridden by champion jockey Omar Walker, as punters revelled in the short-priced favourites including speedy MR SKILL in the 1200-metre eighth event for overnight allowance runners.
GETAWAYBOY, partnered by Larris Allen for trainer Fitzgerald Richards, won the day's Cup race, the Altamont V Armond Memorial at 2000 metres, outfinishing 63-1 outsider RICKAYBA.
The day undoubtedly belonged to DaCosta, whose four winning favourites, CHANGE THE RULE (1-4), SHE'S MAGIC (1-5), MR SKILL (1-5) and SKETEL at 4-5, resulted in 137 winning Pick-9 tickets each worth $9201.50.
The Super-6 went cheaper, 388 winning tickets picking up $4,302 each as DaCosta and Walker, returning champions from 2008, signalled their New Year intentions.
DaCosta, an eight-time champion trainer after winning his fourth straight crown last season, presented MR SKILL in unbeatable condition, firing a warning shot to the country's top-class sprinters including stablemate AHWHOFAH, who won the Caribbean Sprint on Superstakes Day in November.
The four-year-old gelding reproduced his sizzling exercise workouts, blazing from the gate before being taken in hand by Walker, rated down the backstretch in splits of 22.4 and 45.4 with stablemate MARK TO MARKET chasing.
sped away
Approaching the two-and-a-half-furlong marker, MARK TO MARKET got within three lengths of MR SKILL, but Walker had a ton of horse in hand and unleashed the gelding who sped away to win by seven and three-quarter lengths in a fast 1:10.4.
Walker wasn't aboard DaCosta's first winner, CHANGE THE RULE, as his mount, stablemate DIABOLICAL KID, the ante-post favourite, was scratched.
However, Shane Ellis had no problems guiding home the off-time favourite to a five-and-a-half length win over 7-1 shot FRENCH ROGUE at 1000 metres straight.
Walker, however, was flawless aboard SHE'S MAGIC in the third at 1200 metres, going past GRACEFUL NATIVE three furlongs out before thwarting a challenge from RUNNIN ON EMPTY in the stretch run.
Aboard SKETEL, Walker sent the five-year-old mare to the lead four furlongs out past PRINCESS LATOYA and moved away to win by 15 and three-quarter lengths.
Jockey Paul Francis, who rode three winners on New Year's Day, still holds a slim lead in the early going for the jockeys' title, moving to five wins after booting home FIRST TIME LUCKY for trainer Dwight Chen.
Walker is second with four wins, yesterday's three-timer in addition to THE GUARDIAN for DaCosta in Thursday's New Year's Day Trophy.