CALGARY – Champion-in-waiting Rico Walcott and fellow Barbadian Renaldo Cumberbatch both produced hat-tricks to dominate Saturday’s ten-race card at Century Downs.
The 28-year-old Walcott, who will formalise his capture of the jockeys’ title when the season wraps on Sunday, was again in imperious form with victories in race two aboard favourite Clarence, in race five with another favourite, Mr Meaner, and in race seven with 2-1 chance Alfie.
Cumberbatch, meanwhile, enjoyed one of his best outings at the southern Alberta oval this season when he booted home winners in race three with 7-1 choice Feisty Forester, in race four with 4-1 bet Spectrus and in race eight with 5-1 chance Wilko’s Agreement.
Another Barbadian, Shavon Belle, was also in winners’ row in race nine with ten-year-old chestnut mare Merveilleuse while Trinidadian Keishan Balgobin picked up a solitary win aboard three-year-old chestnut filly Screamin Sue in race six.
However, it was the Barbadian pair of Walcott and Cumberbatch who took all the headlines on the day’s programme.
Walcott, the seven-time reigning champion at Northlands Park – 175 miles away – opened his account when he made all the running with brown colt Clarence, to beat the two-year-old maidens in a 3 1/2-furlong sprint.
He followed up with another brown colt, Mr Meaner, in race five, producing a stalking ride in a seven-furlong trip to get the better of the two-year-olds by 4 1/2 lengths.
Walcott’s final win of the day came aboard four-year-old gelding Alfie, trouncing the three-year-old and upwards by 1 1/4 lengths.
Going 6 1/2 furlongs, Walcott saved ground with Alfie as State Remark rushed to an early lead to post the fractions through the half-mile. However, Alfie took the outside trip, rallied strongly in the stretch before getting the better of favourite Mr Kalypso in a driving finish.
Cumberbatch tasted his first success of the day when he combined with five-year-old chestnut gelding Feisty Forester to narrowly get the better of the three-year-old and upwards in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint.
He was back in the winners’ enclosure in the very next race, guiding the eight-year-old roan gelding Spectrus to a 6 1/2-length whipping of the three-year-old and upwards, also going 6 1/2 furlongs.
Cumberbatch saved ground on the rails before making his move, collaring leaders Thisdewarsforyou and Hardly Forgotten at the quarter pole and streaking to the finish unchallenged.
The experienced reinsman then got the best out of the chestnut colt Wilko’s Agreement as they chased down the leader Wild Wilko in the deep stretch, to beat the two-year-old maidens by 1 1/2 lengths in another 6 1/2-furlong trip. (CMC)