Maragh

With champion jockey Omar Walker sitting out day two of a three-day suspension, former champion Shane Ellis seized the opportunity to ride four winners at Caymanas Park yesterday, including 5-1 chance ROYALTY in the 16th running of the Hot Line Stakes over 1200 metres.

Ellis also won the first race aboard the 4-5 favourite FOREVER MINE who, like ROYALTY, is conditioned by champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, as well as 9-2 MYRTLE WAY for trainer Neville Cooper in the third race and 3-2 favourite COLLEGE BOY for trainer Dale Murphy in the closing race over the straight for $180,000 claimers.

Outpaced in the early stages, ROYALTY was brought with a terrific last-furlong run to nab the front running C'EST MOI (9-1) under two-time champion Brian Harding within shades of the wire in the Hot Line Stakes, contested by 10 native bred three-year-old fillies. The Image Maker - Royal Pizzaz offspring is owned by the trainer's wife, Elizabeth and bred by Mark and Susan Wates.

mild upset

Meanwhile, the Sir Howard Stakes over 1200 metres for three-year-old colts and geldings resulted in a mild upset. Victory went to the 5-1 chance NAVAL COM-MANDER, one of three winners for Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas, trainer Percy Hussey and his mom, Ruth Hussey.

NAVAL COMMANDER, who went by long-time leader SUGAR'S IMAGE a furlong out, held on by half a length from the fast-finishing MEELO (10-1) under five-time champion Trevor Simpson and 4-5 favourite GUAN YU who finished another neck away third (Harding up), heads on with 9-1 chance PROGRESSIVE in a field of seven.

Cardenas and the Husseys also won with the veteran campaigner SATISFIER, a 3-5 favourite in the second race, as well as the 3-y-o debutant TOP COMMANDER (5-2) in the straight-five maiden condition race over the straight for the Omar Walker Trophy, run in honour of the reigning champion jockey.

The trophy was presented jointly to the Husseys by Walker and US-based Jamaican jockey, Rajiv Maragh who has been riding up a storm on the New York circuit in the past year.

Rajiv, accompanied by his father, jockey turned trainer Collin Maragh, is visiting Jamaica after being slapped with a seven-day suspension for careless riding by the Aqueduct stewards last week. The 23-year-old jockey has been riding abroad since 2004 and has notched up over 800 winners in North America.