Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

THUNDER CLAP (left, foreground), running at odds of 23-1 with Anthony Baker aboard, storms through in the closing stages for an upset win in race number three of the CTL Claiming Series over 1200 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

IN-FORM JOCKEY Dane Nelson stole the show at Caymanas Park yesterday with a sparkling four-timer on the 10-race programme, his second of the season.

The 24-year-old opened his account aboard 4-5 favourite WHEEL N DEAL, for trainer Richie Todd, in the third race (restricted stakes for 3-y-os and up) over 1100 metres, winning in a driving finish from highly fancied hat-trick seeker GAMBOA under former champion Shane Ellis.

Nelson quickly followed up in the next race aboard 8-1 chance HEAD OF STATE, for trainer Steadman Curtis, his mount having to be hard driven throughout the last furlong to win in another driving finish, this time from the well-backed SIMPLY AWESOME.

Driving finish

Win number three also came in a driving finish aboard 7-2 chance ISLA, for trainer Anthony Nunes, in the sixth race over 1400 metres.

The bay filly produced a tremendous last furlong run on the rails to catch long-time leader and 9-5 favourite LA'S DANCER with champion jockey Omar Walker on the line.

He rounded off the four-timer with an easy victory in the mud, aboard the Nunes-trained MACHISMO, an 8-5 favourite, in the ninth race over 1200 metres for overnight allowance horses.

Nelson, whose grandfather Horatio 'Mussu' Nelson was a useful jockey at Caymanas Park in the '60s and '70s, pushed his season's tally to 82 to hold down second in the jockeys' standings. He is 28 adrift of Walker, who rode two winners in odds-on favourite HURRICANE JUSTICE for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta in the opening Dewhurst Stakes over 1300 metres for two-year-olds, and the Robert Darby Sr-trained WHEELS OF LAW, who made all con-vincingly in the seventh race over 1500 metres.

Happy with form

Although facing an uphill task to catch Walker in the race for the jockeys' title, Nelson said he was happy with his form.

"Right now, I am very fit and focussed, which is due to hard work ... I've been doing a lot of running to keep my weight down to 50.5kg and can ride as many horses as possible on a race day because of my physical condition.

"With over three months remaining in the season, I'll just take things one day at a time and see how it goes. Right now I'm eyeing 100 winners and whatever comes after that will be a bonus for me," explained Nelson.

Meanwhile, race number three in the CTL Claiming Series over 1200 metres resulted in an upset - victory going to the 23-1 outsider THUNDER CLAP, with the now sparingly used Anthony Baker riding for trainer Antonio Barker and owner Ian Aitcheson.

The six-year-old mare, who has now won three of her past four races, ran on strongly from below the distance to win in a driving from VENOM and SONNY 'B' GOOD in a dead heat for second.