Six winners in three race meets for Nelson

DANE Nelson made it six winners in three meets yesterday, hanging on by a nose aboard Anthony Nunes’ 7-5 favourite, ANOTHER ONE, to deny United States-bred COMMANDER Z with journeyman Ian Spence in the Charles Hussey Trophy at five furlongs straight.

Nelson had earlier won the sixth event in another nail-biter, rallying even-money favourite LION OF EKATI, who drifted to mid-track in the stretch run but still held off 11-1 outsider KAY BOY by a short head in the $350,000 claiming event at six and a half furlongs.

Top rider this season at Edmonton’s Century Mile in Alberta, Canada, four-time Jamaican champion Nelson has ridden a pair of winners for three consecutive meets since starting his Caymanas Park winter stint on Mouttet Mile Day, December 6.

Settling ANOTHER ONE third from his mid-track draw at stall six in the 11-horse field, Nelson had the three-year-old just off leader COMMANDER Z, being pressed by COMEHOMETOME.

Roused inside the final furlong, three-year-old ANOTHER ONE surged to the lead, catching Spence napping aboard COMMANDER Z on the faster stands’ side.

On realising ANOTHER ONE had hit the front, Spence attempted a rally inside the final half-furlong, COMMANDER Z leaping forward under his urgings. However, the winning post intervened in the clash of course-specialists, the photo-finish camera showing ANOTHER ONE’s nose in front.

Dane Dawkins, another former Jamaican champion wintering locally on break from Canada’s Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, booted home three winners on the nine-race card, landing a pair for Gary Subratie, JUSTIN BIGTIME among $700,000 claimers in the fourth and runaway winner MARGARITA in the eighth at five furlongs round, beating three-year-olds, non-winners of two races.

Dawkins’ third winner was GALOPIN DE VELOZ, who outbattled MS CHERRY in the fifth at five furlongs straight after being headed off midway the last half-furlong.

Racing continues at the weekend with another Saturday-Sunday weekend carnival, followed by the traditional Boxing Day meet and the final showdown of the year, Saturday, December 27.