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OMAR Walker booted home a five-timer on yesterday’s nine-race card, but it was Dane Nelson’s lone win and Anthony Thomas’ failure to visit the winners’ enclosure, for the second consecutive meet, which left punters salivating this weekend.
After posting a four-timer last Saturday, reducing Thomas’ lead to one in their tussle atop the jockeys’ standings, Nelson pulled level on 80 wins, going all the way aboard 4-5 favourite, STANISLAUS, in the second event at five furlongs round among $450,000 claimers.
WIDE MARGIN LEADS
In a battle, which has seen either rider leading by wide margins when enjoying sweet spots this season, Thomas led Nelson by 17 winners, up to late October, before his rival picked up steam in November.
This weekend’s Saturday-Sunday meet brings down the curtain on the closest jockeys’ title race in a decade, since 2009, when Paul Francis failed to ride a winner in three meets, pursuing Omar Walker, who was sidelined, injured, for almost three months.
Thomas, who enjoyed a breakout year in 2017 while still an apprentice, winning the Superstakes on a chance ride, ironically replacing Nelson astride Wayne DaCosta’s brilliant SHE’S A MANEATER, won his only jockey’s title the following year, while the stable’s first-call, Walker, nursed an injured wrist.
Nelson won three consecutive titles at Caymamas Park, 2012-14, before going off to Canada in 2015, where he has had the unique distinction of winning the 2017 Canadian Derby in the courtroom and losing the 2019 version in the stewards’ room.
Thomas is booked on 16 rides for the weekend, seven on Saturday and nine for Sunday. Nelson is aboard eight on Saturday and nine for Sunday.
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