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Ellis, Cardenas star at the track

Published:Tuesday | August 2, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE GUMMER (left), highly fancied at 9-5 with title-chasing jockey Shane Ellis riding for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, sweeps past the leader SOCA PARTY (centre) and CLASSIC BEAU (right) to win the Emancipation Day Trophy high claiming co-feature over 1300 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Title-chasing jockeys Shane Ellis and Dick Cardenas shared the honours at Caymanas Park yesterday with three winners each on the Emancipation Day 11-race programme.

Both jockeys started the day tied at the top of the standings with 50 winners and by the end of the meet neither allowed the other to gain the upper hand.

Cardenas went ahead in the second race when he produced Courtney Walsh's grey filly TREND SETTER (3-4 favourite) with a powerful challenge on the inside to catch and beat long-time leader SUPER CENTRE by a neck over 1100 metres.

Ellis, however, made it even stevens once again with a decisive victory aboard 6-1 chance SUPREME CAT for trainer Carl Anderson in the fourth race for maiden four-year-olds over 1500 metres.

He proceeded to seize the initiative with a well-timed ride aboard 9-5 chance THE GUMMER for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta in the Emancipation Day Trophy (high claiming) over 1300 metres, winning by 11/2 lengths, but Cardenas came back to level the score at 52 with a good win aboard 3-4 favourite SHYANA in the ninth race.

Thanks to a fast-time win by 1-4 favourite LIFEISJUSFORLIVING in the 10th race over 1100 metres, Ellis was back in front and looked likely to complete the four-time aboard the DaCosta-trained even-money favourite LUSCIOUS in the closing race over 1400 metres for the TOBA Trophy.

But Cardenas, riding 6-1 chance MEA CULPA for his guv'nor Anthony 'Baba' Nunes, had other ideas. He produced MEA CULPA with a sweeping run past LUSCIOUS approaching the distance to win by 21/4 lengths.

Championship

Cardenas and Nunes completed a fruitful holiday weekend, the Panamanian jockey having booted home two winners on Saturday (Secret Weapon, Saragossa), both for Nunes, and three yesterday, while Nunes saddled two on Saturday and two more in MEA CULPA and TREND SETTER yesterday.

A smiling Shane Ellis was happy to be among the winners and looking down the road said this promises to be the most competitive jockeys' championship in years.

"We have a situation where three jockeys are vying for the title and if all of us remain injury free and avoid suspensions, it's hard to predict with five months remaining.

"I'm riding very confident this season, however, I have a good agent and if I continue to get the support from owners and trainer, I fancy my chances of winning a second championship," said the second generation jockey who was champion in 2000.

Ellis and Cardenas (53 wins), are seven clear of Walker, who returned from a three-day suspension yesterday and could only manage one win, this aboard the Gary Subrate-trained two-year-old filly AWESOME CAMILLE over 800 metres straight. The Vanadium - Lady T offspring made all impressively, setting a new track record of 45.0 for the distance.