Omar Walker - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Ever since he won his first triple at the mid-week meet on March 28, apprentice Omar Walker has been the hot rider at Caymanas Park.
On Saturday he took it a step farther with a smashing four-timer comprising the 1-2 favourite RUN ALDEENO in the third race, ALL FIRED UP at 6-1 in the fourth, 3-5 favourite BULLET TRAIN in the eighth and the fleet-footed CLOCK WORK at 5-2 in the ninth race, the $1 million Lotto Sprint Trophy for top-class sprinters.
He thus became the the first from the current batch of apprentices to ride four winners.
Walker is so hot at present that it will take more than a four-day suspension to cool him down. He picked up separate two-day suspensions for careless riding aboard disqualified winner THE BEST MAN and HIDALGO in the third and 10th races, respectively, on Saturday, May 5. The combined suspensions take effect from Wednesday, May 23 (Labour Day).
TRUCKFUL
Since booting home FOX MAN, 10-1 chance MARINERO and HOOKEDONJAZZ on March 28, Walker has ridden a truckful of winners to hold down third position in the standings behind fellow apprentice Javour Simpson (26 wins) and Paul Francis (25) in the jockeys' standings with 23 winners.
"Right now I am getting the rides and is very focused. My aim is to win every race and now that I'm close up in the standings, my intention is to go for the jockeys' title," said the 24-year-old apprentice who hails from Newland in Portmore.
"I definitely have a shot at it," he emphasised. "It would be nice to win the championship in my first full year in the saddle. If I can hold on to my form and avoid suspensions, it could become a reality," added Walker, who has so far notched up 33 career winners.
Watching him in the saddle aboard hard-fought winners such as ALL FIRED UP, TOBAGO and MARINERO, Walker has looked such an accomplished rider in tight finishes that to say he is vastly improved would be an understatement. Popular racing analyst, Francisco 'Linky' Mills, called him "by far the best apprentice riding at Caymanas Park".
Happily, the young rider has not allowed such talk to get to his head and unlike some of his batchmates, maintains his humility.
As a result of Saturday's windfall, he is no longer eligible to a 3.0kg claiming allowance, but 2.0kg.
A 2006 graduate of the Jockeys' School, Walker started riding on July 29 last year and along with batchmates Javour Simpson, Jason Simpson, Carlton Malcolm, Andre Martin and Harriston Lewis have made such an impact, that racing fans have singled out this batch (of 15) as the best to have graduated from the school since its inception in 1981.
A past student of Braeton All-Age school in Portmore, Walker got his break in racing eight years ago through the influence of his father who was a groom at Caymanas Park for many years.
Indeed, it was his father, Vernal, who taught him the rudiments of riding. The youngster linked up initially with trainer Glenford Royal before moving to the stables of his cousin, Owen Dawes, and was soon in demand as an exercise rider.
THRILL OF VICTORY
Prior to entering the Jockeys' School in January of last year, Walker experienced the thrill of victory aboard THE SEVENTH WAVE for trainer Collin Blair in a four-furlong race over the straight confined to exercise riders in 2005. That win only served to whet his appetite.
"The Jockeys' School was a very good experience for me," he recalls. "They not only taught us about riding horses but other things in life not related to horses.
"On the very first day, we rode I became the first from the batch to ride a winner, SUPER NATURAL (4-1), for my apprentice master, champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, in the fifth race over the straight.
"That gave me an even bigger thrill than THE SEVENTH WAVE an in the early part of this year I had to struggle a bit to find winners, my situation improved and I am happy with that," said Walker, who is a cousin of jockey Kerry-Gayle Robinson, a 2002 graduate of the Jockeys' School.
The in-form apprentice, who trains very hard in order to ride at 50.5kg, singles out Wesley 'Callaloo' Henry as his favourite jockey with Andrew Ramgeet not far behind.
Ever mindful of the pitfalls in racing, Walker takes the opportunity to thank all those who assisted him along the way, especially trainer DaCosta who provided him with three of his four winners on Saturday - RUN ALDEENO, BULLET TRAIN and CLOCK WORK, the rider's first grade one winner.
