Muir continues to impress in Canada
Exciting young Caribbean riders Shamaree Muir and Rey Williams both snatched a brace of added-money wins to share honours on Sunday’s 10-race card at Century Downs. Jamaican Muir won the CAN$50,000 (J$5.2 million) Beaufort Stakes with favourite Regal Max in race two before returning to capture the $50,000 Sturgeon Stakes aboard 9-2 choice Miss Hesi in race eight.
Barbadian Williams, meanwhile, tasted success in the $50,000 Alberta Breeders Handicap with hot favourite Zippity Zap in race three, and completed his double by guiding 8-1 chance Irish Gold to a comfortable triumph $50,000 Red Diamond Express Handicap.
With his latest success, Muir tops the jockeys standings with 10 wins, with Rigo Sarmiento second on six and Williams and fellow Barbadian Rico Walcott locked in third on five wins apiece.
The 24-year-old Muir opened his account over a mile and sixteenth when he guided bay gelding Regal Max to a 1-3/4 length win over the threeyear-olds, in a gate-to-wire effort.
Regal Max took command early in the contest, came under threat when Walcott challenged at the top of the stretch aboard Shimshine, but held well late in the stretch.
FINAL YARDS
Muir’s second success came in a 61/2 furlong sprint when he partnered with the roan Miss Hesi to edge the two-year-old fillies by half length.
Can’t Touch This, ridden by Walcott, led for the most of the trip before Muir brought Miss Hesi with a late drive to get up in the final yards.
Williams also shone with back-to-back wins to make his mark on the card. He found the winner’s enclosure first with five-year-old gelding Zippity Zap, narrowly getting the better of the three-year-olds and upward.
Going a mile and sixteenth, teenager Williams made all the running before fending off strong late challenges from Water Wagon and Black Magic River to win by a nose.
There was no such drama for Williams in his next stakes conquest, however, as he easily put away the three-year-olds and upward by three lengths in a dominant front-running effort aboard four-year-old bay gelding Irish Gold.