Jockey Omar Walker is now a member of a most illustrious club.

Walker, by virtue winning the title of champion jockey in 2016, joins Winston Griffiths and Trevor Simpson as the three riders to have won the Jockeys’ Championship five times since racing started at Caymanas Park in 1959.

The 34-year-old Walker posted 68 winners from 306 rides on the 74-day racedays in 2016 — made up of a total of 772 races between January 1 and December 31 — to join the aforementioned select group with his fifth title.

Riding for nearly 11 years, Walker has won 889 races including one — 2,000 Guineas winner on Talented Tony K, one — 1,000 Guineas winner on Puddy Pooh, one – Jamaica Derby winner on Seeking My Dream, one — Superstakes winner on Mark My Word, and two — Diamond Mile victories on Seeking My Dream.

Walker said that it was a great achievement to claim his fifth title.

“I think it is a worthwhile achievement, but it is one that did not come easy. For me it is a wonderful feeling of satisfaction but I am not yet fulfilled despite success being a hard challenge. It involves great discipline and sacrifice.

“Sometimes the sacrifice goes even beyond the call of duty, but that spirit of commitment still resides in me and I will continue to fight on. Should a sixth championship present itself, so be it; and even without it, it will be work as usual, granted I remain injury-free,” Walker told the Complete Racing Guide.

Walker knows very well that success only comes with hard work and dedication.

“This is the career that I chose and to succeed it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. To win five Jockeys’ Championship is no mean task. I must point out that hard work, dedication and a lot of sacrifice are the basic elements in making this achievement possible.

“Despite the work and the commitment, you must have trainers in your corner for you to achieve worthwhile success. If the trainers do not have quality horses in their stables to win races, they will not be as successful as those who have the material to do well. Walker hails 16-time champion trainer Wayne DaCosta for his success as well Neive Graham especially for his tremendous support.

“For this opportunity to leave my mark as a five-time jockey champion at Caymanas Park, I must heartily praise and thank trainer DaCosta for his invaluable support, without which I could not have made it this far to be numbered among some of the most successful riders to ply their trade at Caymanas Park.

“I must also thank trainer Neive Graham warmly for his support. Winning races around the Christmas season is very difficult here at Caymanas Park and, along with chief contributor DaCosta, Graham was with me all the way. Thanks again to both gentlemen for the lofty consideration of guiding me into the position of becoming a member of the five-time winners’ club,” Walker said.

Despite winning his fifth Jockeys’ Championship, Walker told the Complete Racing Guide that he has no immediate plans of giving up Caymanas Park for a move overseas to join the throng of Jamaica riders who are now flocking the North American racing jurisdiction with the intention of improving the quality of their riding and also their earnings.

“I have my family in Jamaica and we are fairly comfortable; we can eat and drink, so I would say that I am comfortable at present and there is very little need for me to go elsewhere.”

Walker won his first four championships consecutively with DaCosta from 2007-2010, but a four-year spell away from DaCosta caused a reduction in winning rides.

During those intervening years — 2011/2015 — Caymanas Park saw the emergence of jockey Dane Nelson who took the championship by the scruff of the neck by winning three editions on the trot.

Dick Cardenas, who took over at DaCosta’s barn, won the championship in 2011 before Nelson gained the ascendency between 2012-2014. Nelson saught greater experience riding in Canada with Shane Ellis, who was attached the powerful stables of trainer Anthony Nunes stepped forward to fill the breach by winning his second championship title ahead of Robert Halledeen in 2015.

Now Walker is in a familiar place and is very pleased.