CALGARY – Barbadian Rico Walcott celebrated the capture of his second jockeys title in three months, when he rode a triple on the nine-race card at Century Downs on Sunday.
On the final day of the six-week Autumn meet at the southern Alberta racetrack, the 28-year-old scored with favourite Bear Fabulous Son in race five, in race six with another favourite Centrefire before bringing the curtain down on the season with victory aboard odds-on bet Rayready.
Walcott finished the season with 36 wins from 113 rides and CAN$323 591 in winnings, well clear of Trinidadian Keishan Balgobin, who was second with 15 wins from 90 rides.
Barbadian Rey Williams and Jamaican Dane Nelson both finished on 13 wins while another Barbadian, Renaldo Cumberbatch, claimed 11 wins.
The title for Walcott added to his conquest at Northlands Park in Edmonton last September when he chalked up his seventh successive championship.
Starting the day already assured of the title, Walcott went winless in his first two rides before finally tasting success when he partnered with seven-year-old roan Bear Fabulous Son to beat the three-year-old and upwards going six and a half furlongs.
He pressed the pace set by Roses Thorn before hitting the front in the stretch and reaching the wire one and a half lengths clear.
His second win came in another six-and-a- half-furlong sprint when he brought five-year-old chestnut gelding Centrefire from off the pace to beat the three-year-old and upwards by a head.
And Walcott registered his victory aboard three-year-old chestnut colt Rayready over the same distance, when he was forced to match strides with Cheeky Purchase every inch of the way, before outlasting his rival by a neck at the wire.
Nineteen-year-old Trinidadian Ridge Balgobin, meanwhile, also ended the season strongly with two wins on the day’s programme. (CMC)