Walcott logs four wins on Sunday

EDMONTON, Canada – Champion-in-waiting Rico Walcott reeled off four wins at Century Mile on Sunday, including the capture of the feature CAN$40 000 Don Getty Handicap with 9-2 chance Go Away, to dominate the 10-race card in western Canada.

Having made infrequent appearances in recent weeks, Barbadian Walcott returned in full force to pair with the James Brown-trained four-year-old gelding to beat the three-year-olds and upward by half length in a time of one minute, 50.09 seconds, going a mile and eighth.

Walcott also produced winners in race two with favourite Chianti, in race three with another favourite Mr Dazzle and in race five with yet another punters’ choice Provocative Prince.

With the success, Walcott stormed to 67 wins for the season, 21 clear of second placed Venezuelan Rigo Sarmiento, and is virtually assured of his maiden Century Mile title when the season wraps up next Sunday.

Fellow Barbadian Antonio Whitehall, who won twice on the day’s card, lies third in the standings on 43 wins.

Racing in the feature in race nine, Whitehall’s Regal Max and Sir Bronx duelled through the quarter in 23.27 seconds with Real Grace and Trooper John in hot pursuit, and Walcott racing Go Away down in seventh in the 10-horse field.

After passing the half-mile in 46.71, Jamaican jockey Shamaree Muir moved 19-1 chance Deep Explorer  into contention on the outside and Walcott also cued up his bid by moving Go Away into fourth.

With the two early leaders fading, the stretch run became a duel between Go Away and Deep Explorer with Walcott prevailing in the late stages.

Earlier, the 29-year-old opened his account when he combined with seven-year-old mare Chianti to beat the three-year-olds and upward in a six furlong sprint by half-length in a front-running effort.

Walcott followed up immediately when he brought four-year-old bay gelding Mr Dazzle from off the pace to out-gun the leaders in the stretch and storm to the wire two lengths clear, to get the better of the three-year-old and upward in a 5-½ furlong dash.

And his third win came over seven furlongs when he out-sprinted 9-1 bet Torchlight early on with three-year-old chestnut gelding Provocative Prince before controlling the encounter and beating the three-year-old and upward maidens by 3-½ lengths.

Meanwhile, veteran Barbadian rider Patrick Husbands produced a confident ride aboard favourite Dreaming of Drew to win the 75th running of the CAN$250 000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.

Going off at odds of 4-5 in the day’s main feature, Husbands made all the running with the chestnut filly over the mile and sixteenth trip in race nine to beat the two-year-old fillies by 3-¾ lengths in a time of one minute, 44:07 seconds.

“I breezed her last week with the blinkers on and I couldn’t believe how relaxed she was,” Husbands said afterwards.

“I know riding her today she would’ve been relaxed because I was on her the week before. We figured that with the blinkers on she would show a lot of speed and probably run off.

“Being on her a week in advance gave me a lot of confidence in her.”

Husbands broke the Barbara Minshall-trained filly sharply, out-running 9-1 chance Bodacious Miss into the first turn to lay down fractions of 24 seconds flat for the quarter and 48.71 for the half-mile.

Bodacious Miss stalked from second a length back, El Bayern tracked from third while 57-1 longshot Emmeline kept tabs from fourth.

Dreaming of Drew opened up a near three-length lead down the backstretch with Husbands standing statuesque but drew a challenge from Bodacious Miss as the race headed for the final turn.

However, Husbands loosened the filly at the top of the stretch and she produced a remarkable turn of speed to dismiss her challengers and storm to the wire confidently.

Il Malocchio ran on strongly for second while Emmeline finished third.

Barbadian Chris Husbands, of no relation to Patrick Husbands, was also successful on the day’s card when he captured the $48 300 race one aboard 6-1 chance Glinda Good Witch, beating the two-year-old maiden fillies by half-length in a six furlong sprint. (CMC)