EDMONTON – Rico Walcott extended his runaway lead in the Northlands jockeys’ championship on Saturday’s race card – but fellow Barbadian Damario Bynoe enhanced his reputation with another string of victories.
Walcott landed a double to move his aggregate of wins for the season to 74, putting him 33 clear of his nearest rival Scott Williams, and Bynoe logged a three-timer, putting him fourth in the table on 23 wins behind third-placed Barbadian reinsman Quincy Welch, on 25.
Walcott set things in motion in the CAN$11 400 first race, steering the 9-4 second choice Knight Crossing to a 3 ¼-length victory over 700 metres on “the dirt.
He vied from the inside with the two-year-old bay gelding then was in a duel with a rival before taking the lead turning for home for an easy victory in a time of 40.11 seconds.
Walcott returned to log a convincing 6 ½-length victory astride the 3-5 favourite Quite Contrary in the CAN $9 700 eighth and penultimate race over 1 300m on the dirt.
He had a similar ride on the five-year-old dark bay mare, but took over the lead after passing the quarter pole in a duel with a rival and drew away in the stretch for a winning time of 1 min, 18.38 secs.
In between, Bynoe had a 2 ½-length victory on the 3-2 favourite Spectrus in the CAN $20 000 second race over 1 600 m on the dirt.
He followed up with a ¾-length victory on the 4-1 second choice Classic Crusader in the CAN $12 800 fourth race going 1 700 m on dirt.
Bynoe was also in the saddle, when the 12-5 second favourite Officer’s Charm won the CAN $8 000 fifth race that went 1 200m on the dirt. (CMC)
