Harding jockey champ again

AFFABLE jockey Brian Harding has reclaimed the title of Champion Jockey of Trinidad and Tobago 2003. Despite riding at Caymanas Park, Jamaica, for several months, Harding, who began the season at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, returned home to land 53 winners, including three at the recent Guarding Holdings Limited-sponsored Boxing Day programme — Fantastic Story, Pave The Way (St Ann’s Stakes) and Sugar Mike (Gold Cup) — to easily top the jockey standings ahead of 2001 titlist Ricardo Jadoo who had 42 winning rides. Wilmer Galviz who had one winning ride on Boxing Day finished third followed by ex-champs, Panamanian Nobel Abrego (27) and local rider Rajpaul Rajkumar (24).

The top apprentice was Sheldon Rodrigo who had a good season steering 21 horses to victory. He finished ahead of Gary Laban ho came into his own late in the season to boot home eight winners, same as Kumar Bissoon, but he had 18 second place finishes to the latter’s 10. Richard Persad was next with seven winners followed by Rajesh Singh with five. The top trainer this time around is Glenn Mendez, who was led by three-year-old king Top Of The Class to post 39 winners, just four more than astute owner-trainer-breeder Maniram “Boboy” Maharaj, who despite his saddling a record 11 juvenile winners ended on 35. Last year’s leading trainer John O’Brien, a vice-president of the ARC, saddled 32 winners to be third, while in fourth was Grant Lourenco with 27 and Harriram Gobin next on 25.