History denied by disqualification

Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas yesterday felt the thrill of victory - five consecutive winners - before the agony of defeat floored him in the stewards' room, disqualification aboard Anthony Nunes' NECROMANCER, which denied the 2011 champion jockey the historic feat of riding the last six winners on a racecard at Caymanas Park.

Punters had already coined a new term, 'Dick Six', after the popular Pick-6 bet, anticipating that Cardenas would have brought the curtains down on the 10-race card and his six-timer aboard 7-5 favourite NECROMANCER, who was expected to make all the running at five furlongs round, closing a three-timer for title-chasing trainer Nunes.

Instead, Cardenas was left ruing an anxious ride astride NECROMANCER, who was disqualified after passing the winning post in front, well clear of MADAM SECRETARY and third-place REGGAE ROAD, the horse the Panamanian was deemed to have caused "interference and intimidatory riding", track announcer Brian Rickman bellowed after a long stewards' inquiry and jockey's objection lodged by new apprentice Shavon Townsend.

Cardenas, who has been slicing into suspended Anthony Thomas' lead atop the jockeys' standings for the last three racemeets, reduced the deficit to 11 with victories aboard TRICKY ONE, MR PANTHEON, PEKING CRUZ, IT'S A RAP and HOLOGRAM SHADOW, races five to nine, before his painful disqualification.

NECROMANCER left postposition seven in the 12-horse field like a scared hare and raced to the half-mile turn, on the outside of REGGAE ROAD and the grey, K J EXPRESS. Hanging to the left, NECROMANCER cut the corner like a Formula 1 car, spooking REGGAE ROAD, who, in turn, interfered with KJ EXPRESS on his inner.

Partnered by new apprentice Shavon Townsend, REGGAE ROAD recovered quickly to chase NECROMANCER almost to the winning post where MADAM SECRETARY ran on to relegate the Richard Azan-trained runner to second.

Ironically, Cardenas had won the seventh event, an open allowance sprint aboard Azan's PEKING CRUZ, his fourth consecutive victory astride the speedy three-year-old chestnut gelding, who defied topweight 126lb to post a fast 1:05.1, signalling his entry into graded stakes.

Particularly stung by the disqualification was Nunes, who started the day $2.5 million in stakes behind his perennial rival, 17-time champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, and had made inroads with two of Cardenas' winners - TRICKY ONE and MR PANTHEON.

However, NECROMANCER's disqualification turned DaCosta lone winner, MISS FORMALITY, in the third event, into an equalling two-timer after MADAM SECRETARY was awarded the 10th at the expense of NECROMANCER.

NECROMANCER's misfortune not only ruined Cardenas' hopes of a six-timer and his trainer's ambitions to reduce his rival's lead in stakes, DaCosta's top owner, Carlton Watson, who started the day $466,425 clear of Nunes' Stephan Narinesingh, closed a double with MADAM SECRETARY after MISS FORMALITY's victory in the third event.

Racing continues at Caymanas Park with the Heroes Weekend holiday meet, which closes on Monday, highlighted by Saturday's Cal's Gold Cup over seven furlongs for graded stakes horses, featuring a rematch between DaCosta's Horse of the Year, SHE'S A MANEATER, and Robert Pearson's WILL IN CHARGE, one of only three horses to have ever lowered her colours.