By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterLEADING TRAINER Wayne DaCosta saddled two winners at Caymanas Park yesterday to move to 90, thus erasing the record of most winners in a season held by his arch rival Philip Feanny.
DaCosta, a two-time champion trainer (1984, 1996), attained the milestone in the seventh race where his two-year-old gelding DUBAI EXPRESS made all under leading jockey Trevor Simpson as the 7-5 second favourite.
Earlier in the afternoon, the 47-year-old trainer equalled the record set by Feanny in 2000 when 1-2 favourite HEART THROB (Simpson up) made most to win the day's feature for the Sir Walter Gilbey Memorial Cup over 1800 metres, this under a top weight of 57kg.
Always prominent in the field of six, HEART THROB went by the early leader O.K. DON (9-5) after 600 metres, then turned back the challenge of CIELO MYSTIQUE between the half mile and home turn to beat him by 5 3/4 lengths.
The winner, a 4-y-o chestnut filly by Sir Lal Bahadur out of Jewelofmyheart is owned by Flame Syndicate and bred by Orange Hall Stables Limited. This was her fifth win from 19 starts this season.
In recognition of his record breaking feat, DaCosta was presented with a commemorative plaque by Philip Feanny in the winners' enclosure shortly after DUBAI EXPRESS had won. Then later, CTL chairman William Chin See and the company's CEO, Rose Campbell, proposed a champagne toast to the trainer inside the Director's Room. This was attended by a small circle of his friends including Jeffrey Mordecai, Michael Lyncook and Dr. Paul Wright.
DaCosta, however, took it all in strides, saying: "records were made to be broken and this one was anticipated. Of course, I am delighted and chances are I will become the first trainer to saddle 100 winners in a season.
"But a bigger task lies ahead," he declared obviously in reference to the current championship race in which he leads reigning champion Feanny by $4.5 million.
Feanny, meanwhile, also saddled two winners in the two-year-old grey filly WAR TURF (2-1) and the 3-5 favourite PERSONAL NEMESIS who romped the Jamaica Racing Commission Jockeys' Training School Race (claiming $120,000-$105,000) over 1100 metres.
This race marked the introduction of 16 of the 22 new apprentice riders scheduled to graduate from the Jockeys' School on November 26. PERSONAL NEMESIS took over the lead from THE RHYTHM DOCTOR and CHICO at the half mile and proceeded to win by 10 lengths from PEARL OF MY HEART (9-2). The winner was ridden by Kemar Lynch, son of jockey turned trainer Tyrone "Wacky" Lynch.
Simpson rode three winners on the card to move to 146, needing 22 more to break George HoSang's all-time seasonal record which has stood for 28 years.
