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Nelson rides triple, Nunes in charge

Published:Sunday | November 22, 2020 | 8:27 AMAinsley Walters - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Nelson
Nelson

TITLE-chasing Dane Nelson, booted home three winners yesterday, slashing Anthony Thomas’ lead atop the jockeys’ standings to four, while helping champion trainer Anthony Nunes extend his stakes advantage over Wayne DaCosta.

Nelson won aboard two Nunes runners, MIRABILIS in the fourth at a mile and impressive two-year-old debutant, CALCULUS, at six furlongs in the ninth.

EXECUTIVE CHIEF, aboard whom Nelson won the eighth for trainer Patrick Lynch in a driving finish, was his second winner of the day before piloting CALCULUS to a come-from-behind victory, clocking 1:13.1 for six furlongs.

Nunes’ started the programme with a $1.2 million lead over DaCosta, who picked up well-needed stakes with second and third-place finishes but failed to notch a winner from 11 runners on the 11-race card.

Lynch saddled a second winner, HIGH DIPLOMACY, who split rivals at the top of the lane with Dick Cardenas to land the 10th event named in his honour on United Racehorse Trainers Association of Jamaica Raceday.

JAMAI RAJA made all at whopping odds of 24-1 to land the United Racehorse Trainers Association of Jamaica Trophy at seven and a half furlongs with veteran jockey Devon A Thomas.

The seven-year-old gelding turned back DaCosta’s MASTER OF HALL, posting fast splits down the backstretch to clock 1:30.3 ahead of late-closing LEGALITY in a strong victory for trainer Errol Waugh.

ainsley.walters@gleanerjm.com