AL FOUZIA (Dane Nelson up), seen winning the 1000 Guineas over 1600 metres at Caymanas Park on Easter Monday, is tipped to land another Classic, the Bigga Oaks, at Caymanas Park today. - file

THE year's just begun but the battle for the jockeys' championship is already on in earnest with Omar Walker throwing his hat into the ring on Wednesday.

The four-time champion jockey booted home a crack four-timer to grab the lead from title-holder Dane Nelson. Walker moved his tally to nine winners, two clear of Nelson who had one winner on the 10-race card.

Nelson, however, remains the hot favourite as first-call jockey in champion trainer Wayne DaCosta's barn.

Tomorrow, Nelson should underline that claim by landing a DaCosta double, COMMANDER ONE in the 1100-metre first race and CANTARE in the eighth at 1200 metres.

United States-bred COMMANDER ONE debuted on January 12 with an eye-popping 16-length win at 1100 metres, almost equaling two-time Horse of the Year SAINT CECELIA's grade one stakes record by clocking 1:04.4.

COMMANDER ONE is a money-back winner with Nelson aboard but CANTARE should be better value for money later in the afternoon.

Nelson knows CANTARE best and should have the four-year-old gelding turn the tables on DIFFERENTGENERATION who had him behind when finishing second to MINISTEROFJUSTICE at 1000 metres straight on January 19.

CANTARE is no five-straight horse. In fact, the dark bay gelding did well under the circumstances in that quick sprint, chasing splits of 22.3 and 45.4, and finishing five and a half lengths third.

At best, CANTARE is a run-on sprinter, effective at 1200-1500 metres, depending on opposition. Tomorrow's line-up holds no terrors for DaCosta gelding and he should stalk the pace before picking off rivals coming into the home turn.

Walker won't go home empty-handed and should easily land the third with Richard Azan's PISCEAN ROCKET who found WILLIE GOLDSMITH too tough in the stretch run last Saturday.

Though PISCEAN ROCKET didn't reproduce the speed and determination he showed when leading rivals to the last furlong in December's Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, the speedy colt should make all at 1000 metres round against five rivals.

Other top jockeys expected to be among the winners are Dick Cardenas aboard Patrick Chang's SPARKLE HAVEN, returning off an 11-month lay-up in the second at 1300 metres, and Shane Ellis astride Anthony Nunes' three-year-old debutant, ROCK UNION, in the fourth at 1000 metres round.

Form players should stick with FOREVER MINE in the sixth and CRUISER in the seventh, making a fine Track Price Plus Pick-6 accumulator alongside Nelson's double, PISCEAN ROCKET and ROCK UNION.