DaCosta lands 5-timer to regain lead in trainer's championship

Reigning 17-time champion trainer Wayne DaCosta produced a career-best performance, saddling a sparkling 5-timer on Saturday's 11-race card at Caymanas Park to regain the lead in the race for the 2018 trainer's championship. DaCosta recorded victories courtesy of Poker Star in race 2; Bullet Raj in the fifth; Sergeant Reckless in the 8th; Rambunctious Links in the 9th and Brandy in the 11th and final for the Seymour ‘Foggy’ Mullings Memorial Trophy , a Restricted Stakes event over a mile.

As a result of the 5-timer, DaCosta who started the day trailing Nunes by $127,000, has now established a lead of $1.4 million in stakes earnings over his arch rival with just two race days remaining on the 2018 calendar. Meanwhile, champion jockey designate Anthony Thomas rode two of the five winners for DaCosta to take his tally for the season to 95 wins, 11 clear of Dick Cardenas who was winless.

Racing continues on Wednesday's Boxing Day with the $4 million Jamaica 2 Year Old Stakes being the feature event on the 11-race programme. Nunes will have four of the seven runners in that event.