Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Leading jockey Shane Ellis aboard 3-1 chance SOY MUJER is led into the winners' enclosure after a decisive victory in the CTL Claiming Series No. 2 over 1820 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. Ellis rode three winners on the mid-week card. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance photographer
TOP JOCKEY Shane Ellis followed up last Saturday's four-timer with a sparkling triple at Caymanas Park yesterday, including 3-1 chance SOY MUJER in race No. 2 of the CTL Claiming Series over the circular nine course.
Ellis also won aboard the unbeaten three-year-old gelding PREMIUM VELOCITY, who romped the opening three-year-old race at 1300 metres by all of 15 lengths and 9-5 chance WHEEL N DEAL in the 1100-metre race for native bred three-year-olds. The 2000 champion jockey thus pushed his season's tally to 24 - three clear of closest rival Dane Nelson who rode two winners in 8-5 shot FIRETRAIN in the third race (high claiming) over the round five course and HEZA RANKING at 2-1 in the fifth race (claiming $315,000 - $285,000) over 1500 metres.
"It's all in a day work," said Ellis after booting home SOY MUJER for trainer Stanford Champegnie and Jockeys' Enterprise.
Good going
"Seven winners in two race days is good going by any standard. I'm riding very well right now and I am hoping to sustain the momentum into the classics.
"This will take a lot of hard work but I'm up to the task and we'll see how things pan out," added the 34-year-old jockey, son of three-time local champion Winston Ellis. This was the jockey's fourth triple of the season.
In the CTL feature, SOY MUJER stayed on strongly in the straight to win by 2 3/4 lengths from the late-closing 2-5 favourite RAINBOW TRAIN with champion jockey Omar Walker aboard.
Held just off the early pace as NIJINSKY'S WAR (7-1) led narrowly from RED GENERAL (6-1) and RED DRAGON, SOY MUJER cruised down on the bridle into third leaving the half mile and effortlessly assumed the lead from SANTA ANITA GIRL approaching the final bend.
Convincing win
Although drifting out in the straight, SOJ MUJER kept on strongly along the stands' side to win convincingly from RAINBOW TRAIN, running on, with NIJINSKYS WAR fading into third. ALLEGRO was declared a late non-starter, reducing the field to eight.
Walker, out of luck aboard RAINBOW TRAIN and the 3-5 favourite STORMIN AWAY who broke down in mid-stretch in the first race win by 4-5 second choice PREMIER VELOCITY, had to wait until the last race before visiting the winners' enclosure aboard 9-2 chance VALID REASON for owner/trainer Steadman Curtis.
Walker has so far ridden 18 winners this season - six adrift of Ellis and three behind Nelson.
SIMPLE SWEET, ridden by Andron Findley for owner/trainer Morris Powell, provided the day's major upset in winning the eighth race for maiden four-year-olds and up at odds of 30-1.The chestnut filly ran on strongly to catch Omar Walker aboard SHADOWS (9-2) within shades of the wire.
