At Left: RAMPAGE (Charles Hussey) passing the post nine lengths clear of rivals to win the Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-y-o Stakes over 1600 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. At Right: KING AL (right) providing champion jockey Trevor Simpson with one of three winners on yesterday's 13-race programme at Caymanas Park. KING AL won at 9-5 defeating favourite DEARDREAMER (left) with Dane Nelson aboard. - IAN ALLEN PHOTOS
TRINIDADIAN BRIAN HARDING virtually ensured he will become the first non-Jamaican to win the jockeys' title at Caymanas Park in 35 years when he rode three winners yesterday to stay clear of arch-rival Trevor Simpson in their epic battle for the 2005 title.
Simpson also won three races but remains eight wins behind Harding with only one race day remaining in the year.
Harding will enter Saturday's final meet of the year with 107 wins, a healthy advantage over Simpson (99).
Harding, a seven-time champion jockey in Trinidad and Tobago, triumphed in the first race on the Boxing Day programme, steering the filly LADY SEETADEO to a three-length victory for trainer Anthony Nunes and Barbadian owner Elias Haloute.
Simpson, who secured a whopping 10 rides on the card, then rallied to capture three of the next five races, scoring in the second, fifth and sixth races.
SLIM HOPES
The five-time Jamaica champion, clutching onto his slim hopes of retaining the title, posted a resounding 13-length victory aboard the six-year-old mare PRINCESS ARIZONA in the second race, took the fifth by two-length astride the three-year-old filly WILD SIDE and then registered a fighting one-length victory aboard the seven-year-old gelding KING AL in the sixth race.
Harding stopped Simpson's progress when he captured the eighth race aboard SOY MUYER, topping Simpson's mount SHAN FABULOSO as the two title-chasing riders engaged in an exciting duel to the finish.
SOY MUYER won by just under two lengths with Harding up for Nunes and co-owners Haloute and Kent Lyn.
Harding, aiming for his first championship title outside of his native T&T, also won the 13th and final race aboard CONCORDE to restore the eight-win advantage he had started the day with. Both riders lost out in the feature events.
Veteran rider Robert Reid won the Harry Jackson Memorial event aboard WIMBLEDON with Harding second astride AD INFINITUM, and ex-champion jockey Charles Hussey won the Jamaica two-year-old stakes with RAMPAGE by a resounding nine lengths over Simpson's mount MINISTER ON FIRE.
Harding was Trinidad and Tobago's champion jockey in 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2003, and 2004 and he is about to become the first non-Jamaican to win the title outright. In 1970 Panamanian Jose Bravo shared the title with local rider Richard Depass.
Simpson won the Jamaica championship 1989, 1992, 2002, 2003 and 2004, and his win in 2002 was achieved with a national record 171 races wins when Harding placed second with 84 victories.
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