Former champion jockey Shane Ellis was the toast at Caymanas Park yesterday, riding a three-timer to highlight the nine-race programme.

Ellis’s winners included the Richard Azan-conditioned Franfield, who romped home in the Reynold ‘Ren’ Gonzalves Memorial Cup feature in fine style going over 2,000 metres.

With a tight grip, Ellis held Franfield behind the speedy Uncle Taf (Ameth Robles up) and Persian Belle (O’Brien White astride) for most of the way before the chestnut colt made what turned out to be the decisive move when hitting the front full of running leaving the half-mile, and from there on Franfield was never caught, winning by four lengths over Royal Vibes (Shamaree Muir aboard), Uncle Taf and Bigbrowngreyhope, the mount of Richard Mitchell.

Owned by Elite Bloodstock Limited, Franfield covered the Overnight Allowance event in 2:10:4 minutes with minimum fuss.

Franfield (Traditional – Supa Lei), who was purchased in the Yearling Sale for $900,000, was registering his seventh career victory from 21 starts with lifetime earnings of $3,995,350.

Ellis returned in next event and rode a really good front-running race aboard Force De Jour to win the Sports Journalists Of Jamaica Trophy co-feature over 1,200 metres.

Trained by Anthony Nunes, Force De Jour was a five-and-a-half length run-away winner over Eternal Joy (Aaron Chatrie up) and Unbreakable (Shamaree Muir in the irons) in 1:14:2 minutes.

Ellis’s other winner was Blue Eye Boy in the fourth race for trainer Donovan Thompson over 1,000 metres round. Thompson also saddled Onefineafternoon in the second race to share training honours with Nunes and Wayne DaCosta.

Nunes’s other winner was Lord Storm in the opening race, while DaCosta saddled Brown George (fifth race) and Mind Set, the mount of the country’s lone female rider Georgina Sergeon, in the ninth and final event.

Sergeon was winning her first race for the year and 58th overall.

Racing continues on Saturday with the 89th running of the Jamaica St Leger going over 2,000 metres.