IN form jockey Robert “Hardball” Halledeen stole the limelight at the races on Saturday as he quietly notched up his 400th career winner on the undercard.

Halledeen hit the landmark in the day’s fifth event at Caymanas Park when he brought the Robert Pearson-conditioned Rani Bangala with a telling run to beat long-time leader Traveller’s Lodge (Shavon Townsend) in the native-bred four-year-old and upward Maiden Condition race over five and a half furlongs (1,100m).

Rani Bangala, bred by Savoy Stomp out of the Traditional mare Palace Gold, sat close to the leader navigating the half-mile (800m) turn before finding top stride in the final furlong (200m) of the race to hit the wire a length and a quarter ahead of Traveller’s Lodge, whose jockey had given up inside the final 50m.

The final time done by the WB Racing bay filly was a pedestrian 1:10.1. Blue Sky, under Prince “Daggerman” Holder, finished in third place.

Halledeen then made it win number 401 in the very next race aboard Whizz Kidd, trained by champion trainer Jason DaCosta, in a maiden condition race for native-bred three-year-olds over five furlongs (1,000m) round.

Whizz Kidd came from behind horses to beat Natural Dancer (Reyan Lewis) by three quarters of a length in a time of 1:02.4 for the distance. Exotic Light (Matthew Bennett), a 99-1 longshot, was a length and three quarters adrift in third place.

Meanwhile Laban, trained by Richard Azan and ridden by Anthony Thomas, got up in time to beat rivals in the $1.29-million Reggae Month Trophy feature contest over five furlongs straight.

Laban — who was held behind the early pace set by Lure of Lucy (Omar Walker) and God of Love (Dane Dawkins) for the first part of the race — made a strong run on the inside of runners and proved the strongest at the end, winning by three quarters of a length ahead of Lure of Lucy, Duke, and God of Love in a tight finish to the line.

Laban (Sensational Slam – For Trixie), who was winning for the ninth time in his career from 37 starts, clocked 1:00.1 for the race. It was also the second winner on the day for Thomas as the former three-time champion won aboard Daddy Jones for trainer Dennis Thwaites in the eighth race.

Also with winners on the nine-race card were trainer Ian Parsard and jockey Reyan Lewis.

Parsard and Lewis teamed up with three-year-old Bootylicious to win the second race; Parsard closed the proceedings with Peaking Blinders (Jerome Innis); and Lewis was successful aboard General Chief for trainer Spencer Chung in the fourth race.

Racing continues on Wednesday with another nine races on offer.

— Ruddy Allen