Orville Clarke, Star Writer

Champion jockey Dane Nelson rode four winners at Caymanas Park on Wednesday to widen his lead over arch-rival Dick Cardenas in their private duel for the jockeys' championship with 11 race days remaining in 2014.

Nelson, popularly called the 'Warrior Chief' owing to his aggressive style of riding, opened his account in the very first race, the Abbie Grannum Memorial Cup maiden two-year-old race over 1400 metres aboard 5-1 chance HOUDINI'S MAGIC for trainer Anthony 'Baba'Nunes.

He followed up with 2-1 shot ROLEX for trainer Cashbert Khwalsingh in the third race, coming through on rails midway the last furlong to beat the 6-5 favourite and long-time leader SHE'S SO SPECIAL by a short head over 1200 metres.

At this stage, Nelson had increased his tally to 92 wins, three clear of the 2011 champion Dick Cardenas. But he was not finished as yet. A post-to-post runaway wins aboard 4-5 favourite BATTLE SONG for trainer Gary Griffiths and popular owner Andrew Azar in the fourth race for maidens over the straight and a narrow win aboard top weight EL NUMERO UNO at 3-1 in the closing straight five race completed what could be a match winning windstorm. Nelson, from all indications, could be in trouble with the stewards after his mount, FASTANDFLASHY (10-1) was disqualified after finishing third to the outsider DUTCHROW in the seventh race, this for causing interference to CRY OF THE POOR in the last furlong.

Nelson thus pushed his season's tally to 94, four clear of Cardenas who managed only one winner on the nine-race programme.