By Orville Clarke, Frelance WriterIN-FORM JOCKEY Shane Ellis highlighted yesterday's nine-race programme at Caymanas Park with three winners to move up to third in the jockeys' standings with 44 wins.
Ellis, whose objective is to finish second to runaway leader Trevor Simpson in the standings, opened his account with an impressive win aboard 4-1 chance GROS VENTRES in the second race over 1500 metres, then followed up aboard the 3-5 favourite SCIO OMINA for Barbadian owners Elias Haloute and Charles Williams in the fourth race for two-year-olds and evens favourite MEZZALUNA in the fifth.
As a result, Ellis has moved up a place in the standings, going by Wesley Henry to occupy third, only eight adrift of top apprentice Paul Francis who will resume riding on Saturday following a three-day ban.
Prominently placed from the start, GROS VENTRES took over the lead from STRAIGHTOTHEHEART and CHAMBA KOO at the halfway stage and after cruising into the straight a good leader, moved farther amnd farther away to win by 11 lengths from 2-1 favourite QUEEN HILL, covering the distance in the smart time of 1:33.1.
In the fourth race over the round five course, SCIO OMINA missed the break from the No. 9 post position, but was hard ridden by Ellis to assume the lead in less than a furlong. He turned for home about two lengths clear of BLAZING BULLET (2-1) and was pushed out to beat him decisively, recording her maiden win on this his debut.
Trained by Anthony Nunes, SCIO OMNIA is a 2-y-o chestnut colt by Law Of The Sea out of Girlie Girlie, bred by Caymanas Estates Limited.
In the fifth, the early favourite INSTRUMENTAL slipped up in the starting gate and was declared a late non-starter. His unexpected exit saw the Patrick Fong-trained MEZZALUNA taking over the role of favourite and after disputing the lead with highly fancied LITTLE PALIUM in mid-track, moved away from below the distance to win by 3 1/2 lengths.
On a day when ZEEDON and FRIENDLY EXPRESS featured in a thrilling dead-heat in the third race where the third horse PROCEEDACCORDINGLY finished a mere nose away third, the Percy Hussey-trained filly MICHELKA (5-2) showed good speed to beat RIVER JORDON (14-1) and 3-5 favourite JACK DE PRINCE (heads on) convincingly in the overnight allowance race over 1200 metres.
Ridden by Charles Hussey in the colours of his mom, Ruth, MICHELKA disputed the lead with highly fancied COURT CASE before inching ahead leaving the 600-metre pole. She turned for home with JACK DE PRINCE in hot pursuit on the outside, but soon lengthened her strides to win in the good time of 1:12.1.
Clive Lynch, who is riding as strong as Superman, notched two winners in 8-5 favourite HERBALIST and 2-1 favourite DOCTOR ON CALL in the closing race over 1400 metres.
Lynch had to pull out all the stops aboard Michael Beecham's DOCTOR ON CALL to catch and beat 16-1 outsider LADY SOLO within shades of the wire in the closing race, as he moved to 40 wins.
