Walcott leads Bajan charge

EDMONTON, Canada – Barbadian jockey Rico Walcott starred with another triple, leading a Caribbean domination of yesterday’s 10-race card at Century Mile.

The 29-year-old multiple-times champion at the now defunct Northlands Park won with hot favourite Temple of Zoom in race two, paired with 6-4 choice Ryanwater to win race eight before also clinching race nine with another favourite Something About Me.

Fellow Barbadians Antonio Whitehall and Rey Williams were also in winners’ row while Jamaican Shamaree Muir also tasted success.

Whitehall, the current leader at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, scored in race seven with 10-3 choice Serappy G, taking the three-year-old gelding to a narrow win over the three-year-olds and upward in a 5-½ furlong sprint.

Williams, meanwhile, won with 4-1 chance Socrates in race 10, piloting the three-year-old chestnut gelding to victory by a head over the three-year-old and upward maidens in a five furlong dash.

Muir, who had an otherwise disappointing day in his eight other rides, landed race three with 6-4 bet Wiser Times, partnering the three-year-old gelding to a half-length score over the three-year-old and upward maidens going six furlongs.

Nevertheless, it was Walcott who stole the spotlight as he extended his lead to close in on his maiden title at Century.

He opened his account in a five furlong sprint, making all the running with the brown filly Temple of Zoom to beat the two-year-old maiden fillies by 2-½ lengths.

Walcott then went winless in his next four rides before landing success again when he guided three-year-old gelding Ryanwater to a narrow win over the three-year-old and upward maidens.

Going a mile, Walcott stalked pacesetter Kentucky Roll before surging to the front at the five-sixteenth and holding off favourite Provocative Prince in the stretch.

His final win came over seven furlongs with four-year-old chestnut filly Something About Me.

Up against the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares, Walcott stalked Texas Alley Kat with Williams aboard, before bidding at the top of the stretch and driving clear to win by 2-¾ lengths.

Walcott now has 40 wins for the season which ends November 1, and is 20 clear of second placed Rigo Sarmiento.