Guyanese Singh, Jamaican Nelson land midweek doubles

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, (CMC):

Rohan Singh and Tyrone Nelson led the customary Caribbean domination of Wednesday's mid-week race card at Assiniboia Downs with a pair of wins each.

Singh, the 52-year-old Guyana-born reinsman, has now moved his aggregate of wins for the season to 42 opening up a six-win lead on his nearest rival for the jockeys' title at central Canada's main racetrack, whose season comes to a close on September 10.

Nelson, the 32-year-old Jamaica-born jockey, is in a two-way tie for sixth on 26 wins with Trinidad & Tobago's Prayven Badrie at the track, where all but two of the jockeys in the top-10 have their roots in Caribbean countries.

Singh advanced his claims for top jockey this season when he guided 8-5 second favourite Dance Tizway to a half-length victory in the CAN $8,800 second race contested over 1,100 metres on the dirt track.

He got the two-year-old bay filly to take over in the middle of the homestretch and hold on for victory in one minute, nine seconds flat.

Singh returned to enhance his claims for champion jockey when he piloted the 8-1 favourite The Spimeister to a 33/4 lengths victory in the CAN $15,000 sixth race, going 1600m on the dirt.

He ensured the six-year-old bay gelding was never headed after he took a short lead before getting him to open up, entering the final turn to run away for a winning time of one min, 40 2/5 seconds.

Nelson was aboard the 3-1 second choice Dunne's Dream, which won the CAN $8,700 fourth race contested over 1600m on the dirt.

He put the five-year-old bay mare to challenge on the outside into the final turn and drew away in the middle of the stretch to win 2 1/4 lengths clear in a time of 1:43 4/5.

Nelson followed up with a 1 1/4 lengths win astride the 9-2 chance Silent Auction in the CAN $8,700 seventh race, going 1100m on the dirt.